Councilmember Allen introduces emergency bill ensuring continuity of terms for Public Service Commissioners until next Mayor
Today, DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) is introducing emergency legislation to empower the next Mayor to select new members of the District’s Public Service Commission (PSC). The terms of two of the current commissioners – Emile Thompson and Ted Trabue – will expire on June 30, and current law allows them to “hold over” in their seats for only an additional 180 days, ending in late December, just days before a new Mayor will be sworn-in.
This emergency legislation will extend their hold-over periods an additional 90 days into next year to allow the next Mayor to make her own nomination decisions. This will also allow the PSC to maintain a quorum necessary to conduct its business until new nominees are confirmed by the Council in the spring. Councilmember Allen chairs the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, which assumed oversight of the PSC earlier this year.
“The Public Service Commission has the incredibly important job of regulating DC’s utility companies, and it’s time for a new direction. Just in the last year, DC residents have seen the greatest increase in electricity prices in the US. Our utility costs are unaffordable for most residents, and we’re failing to address the climate crisis as required under unanimously-passed Council legislation. The PSC should be pursing policies that lower energy costs, aggressively expand homegrown renewable energy, protect grid reliability, and ramp up battery storage and DC’s ability to respond to energy price spikes,” said Councilmember Allen. “The PSC’s commissioners are charged with executing on these priorities, but the District’s ratepayers need more urgency and vision. Given that we’re very close to having a new Mayor and the current commissioners’ terms are expiring, this legislation ensures the Public Service Commission can continue to meet until a new mayor can choose nominees that align with their policy priorities for the agency, as the Mayor will for every District agency, board, and commission. I want to thank Chairperson Emile Thompson and Commissioner Ted Trabue for their years of service to the District of Columbia and for continuing to ensure the PSC has stable leadership during this transition in government.”
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RESALE Act Passes First Vote with Crucial 10% Price Cap Reinstated, Complete Speculative Ticket Ban, and Registration Requirement for Large Resellers
Today, the DC Council debated and gave initial approval to Councilmember Charles Allen’s RESALE Act, voting unanimously on an amendment from Councilmembers Allen and Christina Henderson to restore a 10% cap on how much a live entertainment ticket can be resold for on sites like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats. This represents a major victory for DC’s vibrant live music and theater scene, which has pushed hard for reforms to the secondhand reseller market driving up costs and leaving fans out in the cold.
Ward 6 Update: Budget Done, Big Vote on Ticket Prices, and July 4 Updates
Plus: Summer Resources and Pools are Open Daily!
Ward 6 Update: June 13, 2026
Ward 6 Update: Fire on Barracks Row, Budget Passes First Vote, & Juneteenth
Plus: Drought Watch in DC
Council approves budget increasing funding for childcare, health care, housing, paid family leave, and energy affordability
Budget restorations will lower cost of living for hundreds of thousands of District residents and invest in District’s growth, despite federal headwinds
Council Unanimously Passes Councilmember Allen’s Bill Banning Large Buildings from Charging Predatory ‘Common Area Utility’ Fees
As New Pepco Rate Increase Begins Today, Councilmember Allen Announces Public Hearing on Utility Affordability and Multi-Year Rate Plans
DC Councilmember Charles Allen announces a public hearing to examine legislation around Pepco’s use of multi-year rate plans and to hold a broader discussion of legislative solutions to lower utility costs.
Ward 6 Udate: May 30, 2026
Ward 6 Update: Budget Progresses, Heat in Schools, & Constituent Wins
Plus: Happy 5th Birthday to the Southwest Library!
What's in the Budget for Transportation & the Environment
Yesterday, the Committee on Transportation and the Environment voted unanimously to approve the budget recommendations that my team and I developed over the past month. This is the most recent step in the Council's process for passing a city budget funded by your tax dollars, so I'd like to run through the changes with you now and let you know where things stand.
