After visits this week with federal and state legislators, we finished off the week by focusing on Washington D.C's legislative body, the D.C. City Council. This morning we visited with the longest tenured member of the City Council, Councilman Jack Evans (photo at left), at D.C.'s city hall, the Wilson Building. Councilman Evans first spoke to the St. Albans School of Public Service about the history of self-government in D.C. (D.C. first had an elected Mayor and City Council only relatively recently, beginning in 1975); the budget process; and the relationship with the federal government. Councilman Evans was then kind enough to open up the floor for questions, which ranged from queries on educational reform to the political nuts and bolts of campaigns. Councilman Evans then personally took our group on a tour of the historic Wilson Building, D.C.'s City Hall, including the elegant hearing chamber and his own office. After three weeks in Washington, D.C., our group had plenty of good questions about the city and very much enjoyed the exchange!
(Above photo: the lobby of the Wilson Building; below photo, Daniella and Purcell enjoy the wall of photos in Councilman Evans' office)
(Above photo: Councilman Evans showing SPS the restored Wilson Building; below photo: the St. Albans School of Public Service Class of 2011 with Councilman Evans in the lobby of the Wilson Building)
After visits this week with federal and state legislators, we finished off the week by focusing on Washington D.C's legislative body, the D.C. City Council. This morning we visited with the longest tenured member of the City Council, Councilman Jack Evans (photo at left), at D.C.'s city hall, the Wilson Building. Councilman Evans first spoke to the St. Albans School of Public Service about the history of self-government in D.C. (D.C. first had an elected Mayor and City Council only relatively recently, beginning in 1975); the budget process; and the relationship with the federal government. Councilman Evans was then kind enough to open up the floor for questions, which ranged from queries on educational reform to the political nuts and bolts of campaigns. Councilman Evans then personally took our group on a tour of the historic Wilson Building, D.C.'s City Hall, including the elegant hearing chamber and his own office. After three weeks in Washington, D.C., our group had plenty of good questions about the city and very much enjoyed the exchange!
(Above photo: the lobby of the Wilson Building; below photo, Daniella and Purcell enjoy the wall of photos in Councilman Evans' office)
(Above photo: Councilman Evans showing SPS the restored Wilson Building; below photo: the St. Albans School of Public Service Class of 2011 with Councilman Evans in the lobby of the Wilson Building)
