What is an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner?

An Advisory Neighborhood Commission, or ANC, is a non-partisan neighborhood body made up of locally elected representatives called Commissioners. Commissioners serve two-year terms without pay and are elected at D.C. elections in November in even-numbered years (e.g., 2022, 2024). The ANCs were established in 1974 to bring government closer to the people and to bring the people closer to government. They are a unique feature of the District's Home Rule Charter, our city’s “governing document.”

There are now 46 ANCs, up from 40 prior to the 2022 redistricting.

What do ANCs and Commissioners do?

An ANC's main job is to be its neighborhood's official voice in advising the District government (and federal agencies) on things that affect their neighborhoods. This includes zoning, streets, recreation, education, social services, sanitation, planning, safety, budgeting, and health services.

Each ANC covers an area that is subdivided into Single Member Districts (SMDs), each of which consists of about 2,000 residents. Each SMD elects an ANC Commissioner. Although each SMD should have equal populations, ANCs may vary widely in size. ANCs can include anywhere from 2 to 12 SMDs.

Where is our ANC located?

I represent SMD 1A06 (blue area in the map below), which is part of ANC 1A (red area in the map below).

ANC 1A encompasses most of the Columbia Heights neighborhood. It generally stretches from Spring Rd NW to Euclid St NW north to south and Sherman Ave NW to 16th St NW east to west, with some exceptions. Single Member District 06 is located in the northern area of Columbia Heights and ANC 1A. It is generally between Irving Rd NW and Park Rd NW north to south, and 14th St NW and Sherman Ave NW east to west, with a few exceptions.

Looking for your ANC or SMD? Click here