council

What council does

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the District of Columbia government, established under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 and headquartered in the John A. Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. It functions simultaneously as a city council and state legislature, responsible for enacting local laws, approving the District's annual budget, and providing oversight of executive agencies. The body consists of 13 elected members: a Chairman, 4 At-Large members, and 8 Ward representatives, serving approximately 700,000 District residents. Recent legislative priorities evidenced in Council Updates include the RESALE Act regulating ticket resale markets (final approval July 16, 2026) and the FY2027 Budget Support Act (second vote July 10, 2026).

The Council operates a hybrid legislative technology stack combining in-person proceedings in the Council Chamber with remote participation via Zoom registration. Supporting infrastructure includes a Hearing Management System for public testimony, the Legislative Information Management System (LIMS) for legislation tracking, and a public-facing digital communications ecosystem spanning the dccouncil.gov website, GovDelivery email subscriptions, RSS feeds, YouTube meeting streams, and organic social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter). Communications, scheduling, technology, HR, and budget functions are staffed across multiple director-level offices reporting to the Chairman and individual Councilmembers.

As a public-sector entity, the Council does not generate commercial revenue. All operations are funded through District of Columbia government budget appropriations. Its "customer base" is universal within its jurisdiction — every D.C. resident is a constituent — and "distribution" occurs through public hearings, roundtables, in-person visits to the Wilson Building, and the digital channels listed above. Leadership is provided by Chairman Phil Mendelson (serving since 2012) and a roster of Councilmembers including Brooke Pinto (Ward 2, Chair of Judiciary and Public Safety), Robert C. White, Jr. (At-Large, Chair of Housing), Brianne K. Nadeau (Ward 1, Chair of Public Works and Operations), and the most recently seated member, Elissa Silverman (At-Large, sworn in July 15, 2026).

Name

council

Legal name

Council of the District of Columbia

Website

https://dccouncil.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative body for Washington, D.C., enacting local laws, approving the District budget, and providing oversight of executive agencies. It serves approximately 700,000 District residents through 13 elected members operating from the John A. Wilson Building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government / Municipal Legislative Services

NAICS

Legislative Bodies (92112)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIABAB

State Legislature/Regional Assembly Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

SECONDARYEDAAAFAC

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Municipal legislation
• Local lawmaking
• Government budget oversight
• Public hearings
• Constituent services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative body of Washington, D.C., responsible for enacting local laws, approving the District budget, and providing oversight of District government agencies. It comprises 13 elected members and conducts legislative meetings, committee hearings, roundtables, and constituent services, with public participation enabled through in-person and remote testimony.

Product overview

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative body of Washington D.C., operating as a government entity rather than a commercial product company. The website serves as an informational portal providing residents access to legislative proceedings, council meetings, hearings, legislation databases, committee information, and mechanisms for public participation including testimony before the Council. No distinct commercial products or services are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York City Council: The legislative body of New York City, the most direct functional analogue to the DC Council as a municipal legislature serving a large, urban constituency with lawmaking, budget approval, and oversight responsibilities.
• Chicago City Council: The legislative branch of the City of Chicago, comparable to the DC Council in functioning as a city council that enacts local ordinances, approves budgets, and provides constituent services.
• Los Angeles City Council: The legislative body of Los Angeles, comparable in operating as a city council for a large American urban jurisdiction with similar lawmaking and oversight functions.
• Philadelphia City Council: The legislative branch of Philadelphia, comparable to the DC Council as an elected municipal legislative body serving a major US city with budget and ordinance authority.
• San Francisco Board of Supervisors: The legislative body of San Francisco, directly comparable to the DC Council as a city-and-county legislature that passes local laws, approves budgets, and conducts oversight.
• Boston City Council: The elected legislative body of Boston, a directly comparable city council performing lawmaking, budget approval, and constituent service functions for an urban population.
• Atlanta City Council: The legislative body of Atlanta, a comparable city council performing lawmaking, budget approval, and oversight for a major US municipality.

Regional players

• Maryland General Assembly: The state legislature of Maryland, geographically adjacent to DC and operating as a bicameral state legislature, comparable because the DC Council performs dual city-and-state legislative functions and frequently interacts with Maryland on regional policy.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. House of Representatives: The lower chamber of the US Congress, broadly comparable as a federal elected legislative body with oversight, lawmaking, and constituent-service functions, although operating at a national rather than municipal scale.

Others

• Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia: The executive counterpart housed in the same Wilson Building, included because it shares governance of the District and works directly with the Council on budget and legislative matters, providing a useful structural comparison within the DC government.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/councilofdc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXTTGvPOwbn3QSov4FaQU-w/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/councilofdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about council