December 28, 2017 | Vol. 3, Issue 52
Dear
Washingtonians,
Yesterday, we activated the District's Cold Emergency Plan. The plan, which will remain activated until 7:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 2, ensures that we have additional services and supports available to protect residents from life-threatening illness and injury associated with severe cold weather.
During this extreme cold, it is critical that we all watch out for one another's safety. Now is the time to call the Shelter Hotline when you see residents experiencing homelessness who are outside and to check on neighbors who might need assistance. To request transportation to shelter for someone experiencing homelessness, contact the Shelter Hotline by calling (202) 399-7093 or 311.
Sincerely,
 Download and share the Shelter Hotline graphic on social media.
Last week, Mayor Bowser, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWitt announced that District property owners can prepay their property taxes in preparation for the upcoming tax year. The federal tax reform legislation limits the amount of state and local income and real property taxes that individuals may deduct from their federal income tax, beginning in calendar year 2018. Under the new law, the amount that may be deducted is limited to $10,000 of the combined local income or sales taxes and real property taxes.
How to Prepay Real Property Taxes
Before making an advance payment, residents should consult a tax advisor.
If
a taxpayer chooses to prepay property taxes given their federal tax situation,
they may choose to base their property tax prepayment on the amount paid in the
previous half-year. The prepayment can be for the entire fiscal year (October
1, 2017-September 30, 2018). Once the prepayment for 2018 is made in
2017, adjustments based on the corrected amount will be included in subsequent
billings. These adjustments may be due to factors such as the
homestead deduction, senior deduction, or other changes that impact billings.
Taxpayers
can prepay online by going to the District Office of Tax and Revenue website at www.taxpayerservicecenter.com
and clicking on the prepay 2018 tax banner. They can then put in their
property information and, after it is selected, click the “Pay Here” button at
the bottom of the page and then pay by e-check. They will need their checking
or savings account number and routing number. This option is available
until midnight on December 31.
The
other option is to go to any District Wells Fargo branch where
they can pay via check or credit card. They will need to bring their
latest property tax bill so their account is credited appropriately. This
option is available until close of business for the particular branch on
Saturday, Dec 30.
Learn more HERE.
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Join Mayor Bowser on New Year's Day at the Fit DC Fresh Start 5K and take a step toward better health in 2018! This year's 5K will be at Anacostia Park as we kickoff the celebration of the park's 100th anniversary. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. and the walk/run begins at 10:00 a.m.
Register HERE.
Take the Anacostia River Use Survey today and help us learn more about how you currently use the Anacostia River and how you would like to use it in the future.
The survey, which you can find HERE, takes approximately 5-7 minutes to complete.
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The District offers two environmentally-friendly ways for residents to recycle Christmas trees and greenery. Between January 13 and February 2, residents can put their trees and greenery out with trash and recycling, to be collected on regularly scheduled recycling days during this period. This collection service is only available to residents who are serviced by the Department of Public Works. (Note: In years past, residents could place their trees in
the tree box space, adjacent to the curb. This is not
the case this year, unless that is where recycling is normally
collected.)
Residents can also bring their trees and greenery to either of the District’s transfer stations - the Fort Totten Transfer Station (4900 John F. McCormack Drive, NE) or the Benning Road Transfer Station (3200 Benning Road, NE).
Before disposing of a tree or greenery, all ornaments and lights should be removed. Residents are also asked not to bag their trees or greenery. Learn more HERE.
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This
week’s District Minute features stories about the Mayor's Boards and Commissions Swearing-In Ceremony and the launch of the District’s first-ever Transitional Residential Program that combines employment and housing services.
This past summer, Mayor Bowser kicked off the first cohort of Solar Works DC, a job training program that installs cost-saving solar energy systems on the homes of low-income residents. A joint effort between the Department of Energy and Environment and the Department of Employment Services, the program provides on-the-job technical training to DC residents ages 18 and over.
Applications for the upcoming spring cohort are being accepted until January 5, 2018. Learn more and apply HERE.
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