What's an ANC?
An ANC is a non-partisan, neighborhood body
made up of locally elected representatives called Advisory Neighborhood
Commissioners. They are a unique feature of the District's Home Rule Charter.
The Commissioners, who serve two-year terms without
pay, are elected at DC Elections in November in even-numbered years (e.g.
2008). The ANCs were established to bring government closer to the people, and
to bring the people closer to government.
In addition to providing
people with a greater say in the matters that affect their neighborhoods, ANCs
were intended to end the duplication of effort caused by the proliferation of
special advisory groups.
There are 37 ANCs. Each ANC area is
subdivided into a number of smaller areas. Since only one Commissioner is
elected per district, they called Single Member Districts (SMDs). (The Wards on
the D. C. Council are also single member districts.) Each SMD consists of about
2,000 people. Although the SMDs must have equal populations, ANCs may vary in
size. The biggest ANCs have 12 SMDs. The smallest has just 2. There are
currently 286 SMDs citywide. This is down from 299 SMDs during the 1990s when
more people lived in the City.
The ANCs' main job is to be their
neighborhood's official voice in advising the District government (and Federal
agencies) on things that affect their neighborhoods. Although they are not
required to follow the ANCs' advice, District agencies are required to give the
ANCs' recommendations "great weight." Moreover, District law says
that agencies cannot take any action that will significantly affect a
neighborhood unless they give the affected ANCs 30 days' advance notice. This
includes zoning, streets, recreation, education, social services, sanitation,
planning, safety, budget, and health services.
The ANCs also initiate recommendations for
improving city services, conduct neighborhood improvement programs, and monitor
resident complaints. The ANCs began operating in 1976.