Kwame R. Brown

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This article is about a politician. For the basketball player, see Kwame Brown.
Kwame Brown, November 2007
Kwame Brown, November 2007

Kwame R. Brown is a politician from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. He currently serves as an elected Democratic At-Large member of the Council of the District of Columbia.

Kwame Brown was born on October 13, 1970, at Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, D.C. Brown graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and participated in the Mayor's Youth Leadership Program. Kwame continued his education at Morgan State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. Brown is a graduate of both the Minority Business Executive Program, & Advanced Business Executive Program at the Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College and the Senior Executives in State & Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.[1]

Brown was first elected to the Council in 2004, winning 55.4% of votes citywide in the general election, [2] after defeating incumbent Councilmember Harold Brazil in the primary with 54.09% of the vote.[3]

Brown is up for reelection in 2008. When asked why no one was yet running against him Brown stated, "People run because they're tired of elected officials not doing anything," said Brown, who lives in Hillcrest. 'No one's running, because I've done what I said I was going to do."[4]

Local PTA president Clarence Cherry picked up a petition to run for the seat held by Brown in May 2008.[4]

[edit] Political career

Brown serves as Chair of the Council's Committee on Economic Development.[5]

Brown co-introduced the School Modernization and Financing Act of 2005, which was to construct, renovate, and modernize public schools in the District. In order to offset the cost of the law, the commercial property tax was increased from 1.85% to 1.87%, the cigarette tax was increased from $1.00 to $1.50 per pack, and the income tax rate was increased for individuals earning more than $40,000.[6] The Act also authorized the mayor to borrow $1-million, which would be repaid with $60-million annual payments from revenue from the future District lottery.[7]

Later, Brown authored the amendment that led to $48 million dollars for vocational education to build the Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering Academy.[8] Students at the newly built school would be able to attend courses in vocational subjects and pursue aprenticeship and certification.[9]

Brown authored the Creative Learning Program Act to require that all elementary schools are taught music, visual arts, and physical education each week effective the 2008-2009 school year.[10] The Act requires the subjects to be taught weekly but does not specify the curriculum or guidelines of the educational programs.[10] The Act has not passed the Council as of June 2008.

In January 2008, the Council voted in favor of a no-bid sale of an acre of land next to the Shaw metro station to a developer to build the new headquarters of Radio One, returning the company to the District.[11] Brown initially opposed selling the land to the developer, but changed his position two days later calling the sale "a historic moment for the District and a victory for residents of the Shaw community."[12] The deal includes plans to build affordable housing and off-street parking spaces, reserve discounted retail space for local businesses, and scholarships for Howard University students.[13]

Brown authored the Compliance and Enforcement Agency Establishment Act of 2007, which establishes a Compliance and Enforcement Agency in the District government.[14] The Agency would be responsible to ensure that developers meet environmental standards, affordable-housing requirements, and laws involving hiring local employees.[14]

Brown cosponsored the Small Business Commercial Property Tax Relief Act of 2007.[15] The Act reduced the commercial and industrial property tax rate for properties assessed at less than $3 million.[16] The Act also increased the amount of tangible personal property exempt from the personal property tax to $225,000.[16]

In addition, Brown authored the Minority and Women-Owned Business Assessment Act of 2007 to determine how many minority- and women-owned businesses were receiving contracts from the District.[17] The Act also authorized an assessment of whether the District government should increase the number of contracts awarded to such businesses and, if so, how to do so.[17]

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ www.kwamebrownatlarge.com
  2. ^ District of Columbia: Board of Elections and Ethics: Election Results
  3. ^ District of Columbia: Board of Elections and Ethics: Election Results
  4. ^ a b Stewart, Nikita. Local Election Season Quietly Kicks Off. The Washington Post. 2008-05-11.
  5. ^ Council Period 17 Committees. Council of the District of Columbia. Retreived 2008-06-09.
  6. ^ Public hearing on Bill 16-250 "School Modernization Financing Act of 2005": Testimony of Dr. Fitzroy Lee Director of Revenue Estimation Office of Revenue Analysis] (pdf). Committee on Finance and Revenue, Council of the District of Columbia. 2006-01-09.
  7. ^ Joint public hearing on Bill 16-250 "School Modernization Financing Act of 2005": Testimony of Natwar M. Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer, Government of the District of Columbia. Committee on Finance and Revenue and Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation, Council of the District of Columbia. 2005-07-07.
  8. ^ [http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/images/00001/20070618165700.pdf Turner Construction Company Contract No. GAFM-2007-C- 0215A Emergency Approval Resolution of 2007] (pdf). Council of the District of Columbia. 2007-06-05.
  9. ^ Haynes, V. Dion. At D.C.'s Phelps High, A Return to the Future. The Washington Post. 2008-05-11.
  10. ^ a b District of Columbia Creative Learning Program Act of 2008. Council of the District of Columbia.
  11. ^ Stewart, Nikita. D.C. Council Members Balk At Deal for Radio One Offices. The Washington Post. 2007-11-16.
  12. ^ O'Connell, Jonathan. D.C. Council OKs $23M for Radio One HQ. Washington Business Journal. 2008-01-09.
  13. ^ Huslin, Anita. D.C. Finalizes Radio One Deal. The Washington Post. 2008-01-25.
  14. ^ a b Compliance and Enforcement Agency Establishment Act of 2007 (pdf). Government of the District of Columbia.
  15. ^ Small Business Commercial Property Tax Relief Act of 2007 Bill Status Page. Council of the District of Columbia. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  16. ^ a b Small Business Commercial Property Tax Relief Act of 2007. Council of District of Columbia.
  17. ^ a b Minority and Women-Owned Business Assessment Act of 2007. Council of the District of Columbia.
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