Spencer Resigns ANC 1B02 Seat; 2 Seats Remain Vacant in 2F/Logan

Next week Borderstan will look at redistricting in three local ANCs: 1B, which includes the U Street area; 2B, which covers Dupont Circle neighborhood; and 2F, which covers the Logan Circle area. Information on how to run for an open ANC seat is in this article.

Aaron Spencer announced his resignation from Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B Thursday night at the commission’s August meeting. Spencer plans to move out of the area to Columbia Heights.

Spencer won the Single Member District (SMD) 02 seat last November when he defeated incumbent Peter Raia and Tucker Gallagher in a close three-way race. The contest was watched intensely at the local level due to Raia’s positions on liquor licenses and the percentage of restaurants and bars in the 14th and U Streets NW corridor. Raia has since moved out of the city.

Spencer also headed up the 1B alcoholic beverage licensing committee. “I’m proud of what we did on the committee, and excited that the Commission has bought into the idea of active committees,” Spencer said. “We have business community members on the committee who provide insights into good business practices and how businesses should integrate themselves into the U Street corridor.”

He noted that Voluntary Agreements (with liquor license holders) are being done with support from committee members, who actively visit prospective establishments. “The Commission is planning to sponsor twice-yearly orientations for new businesses, and and we hope to have the MidCity Business Association and ABRA as part of the process,” Spencer said.

Gallagher has announced that he will seek the seat in a special election to fill the remainder of the term, which ends January 1, 2013. If at least one other person files the necessary signatures there will be a special election; if not then Gallagher would be appointed to the seat after obtaining at least 25 voter signatures. (More details on ANC special elections are below.)

ANC 1B02 covers area around 14th and U Streets, running from Florida Avenue to S Street. It has had a large influx of additional residents in new buildings in the past decade, and will have to be divided during the current redistricting process.

ANC 1B02 grew by 68% in the last decade, which makes it the third fastest growing district in the city. It now has 3,277 residents — ANC districts are mandated to have 1,900 to 2,100 residents, ideally 2,000.

Two of Six ANC 2F Seats Vacant

There are also two vacant seats in ANC 2F, which covers the Logan Circle area. Both ANC 2F02 and 05 are vacant — only four of the six districts currently have representation.

Emily Barton was elected to the 02 seat last November, but resigned to accept a job outside of D.C. District 05 has been vacant since the beginning of the year; there were no candidates on the ballot last November. In order for a special election to be held in either of the districts, at least one candidate must file to run.

Filing Process for Open ANC Seats

Mike Benardo is the Vice Chairman of ANC 2F and represents District 06 on the eastern side of the ANC. The ANC is trying to find candidates to run for the two open seats in 2F.

“The vacancy filling process is fairly simple. Interested residents living in the appropriate SMD First need to go to the DC Board of Elections office and pick up petition,” Bernardo said.

The potential candidate then needs to complete the forms and get the signatures of at least 25 registered voters from the same SMD. The forms and signatures are then turned back in to the Board’s office.

Benardo added, “If more than one person does so, we will hold a special election at a 2F meeting. If only one person does so, they automatically fill the seat.”

ANC 2F has also gained a large number of new residents due to new residential buildings in the area. An initial look at the numbers shows that it will go from the current six to up to eight SMDs after redistricting. Chinatown and parts of downtown that were formerly in Ward 6 will form a new ANC, according to Benardo.