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Zachary Parker
DC Council Ward 5 2026
Opportunity DC's Questionnaire
Opportunity DC advocates for priorities that grow our local economy, make government work better and faster, and make DC a more affordable place to live. We partner with pragmatic leaders to pass
effective legislation and help elect champions capable of leading our city forward.
Our questionnaire project is dedicated to providing DC Voters with the information to make the best decision possible for the District. No answers have been edited for the candidates, except light formatting changes.
Biographical Information
Please share any accomplishments or experiences that reflect your commitment to
advancing Opportunity DC's policy priorities
Please share any accomplishments or experiences that reflect your commitment to
advancing Opportunity DC's policy priorities
All endorsements to date:
Working Families Party, Local 25, LiUNA, Victory Fund
Previous offices held:
Ward 5 member of State Board of Education
District Priorities
DC residents tell us their three most important issues are the cost of living, public safety, and jobs and the economy. Please list one legislative or regulatory solution you support to address each policy challenge.
Poverty and economic inequality - Too many families still struggle to afford housing, childcare, and basic necessities in an increasingly expensive city. I have prioritized policies that directly put resources into the hands of families, including passing the historic District Child Tax Credit, which provides meaningful financial support to working parents and helps reduce child poverty. Moving forward, we must continue expanding income supports, investing in workforce development, and ensuring families have access to affordable housing and childcare.
Accessible & Affordable Housing
DC’s average housing costs are 140% above the national average. DC laws, rules, and
regulations make building housing here more expensive, time-consuming, and bureaucratic compared to other jurisdictions—creating a scarcity of available housing that drives up rent and home prices. Do you agree that increasing the supply of available housing, including market-rate, will lower the cost of rent and homes for residents over time?
Housing affordability - The District's housing shortage continues to drive up costs and threatens to displace longtime residents. Legislatively, I support increasing funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund, expanding affordable housing for residents earning 80 percent of area median income or below, and aligning zoning and land use policies to allow more housing near transit and job centers. Oversight must ensure that housing programs deliver units on time and that public land is used strategically to create affordable homes.
Zoning and land use policy can restrict where housing is built and the number of units for a specific project. Transit-oriented development—building housing near thoroughfares and public transit—helps local governments plan housing near key services and transportation hubs. Do you support or oppose requiring all areas of the District currently zoned for commercial development to be automatically zoned for high-density residential development?
Improve education outcomes and strengthening our school system - While we have made progress, we are not improving quickly enough to meet the District's long-term workforce and economic needs. Too many students still face barriers to consistent attendance and academic success. My focus has been on improving attendance, strengthening early interventions, and ensuring schools have the support they need to help students thrive. I introduced legislation to streamline the truancy referral process by shifting responsibility away from the child welfare system and toward agencies better equipped to provide family supports and early intervention.
In 2025, DC lawmakers modernized the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) to make DC a more attractive and viable place to build housing. Building enough housing to address DC’s supply shortage will require local government to revise legislative code and pass regulatory reforms so that DC can compete within our region and across the country for limited capital investment. What 1 – 3 legislative or regulatory proposals do you support to make DC a more attractive place to build both affordable and market-rate housing.
Agree
Economic Innovation & Workforce Development
In July of 2024, DC lawmakers increased the paid family leave tax (a payroll tax on District employers) from .23% to .75% of total wages. The additional revenue went to offset $2 billion in new general fund expenditures rather than towards expanding paid family leave. The higher payroll tax makes it harder for local employers, especially schools, hospitals, and small businesses, to grow and hire District residents. Do you support or oppose eliminating the 2024 payroll tax increase on DC employers over the next four years?
Support
Currently, all DC small businesses are required to file an annual personal property tax form (FP-31), even if their property assets are below the threshold that would subject their business to the tax. FP-31 is a cumbersome form that forces entrepreneurs to spend hours on compliance for a tax that most businesses are not even subject to. Do you support or oppose B26-0229, The Personal Property Tax Form Simplification Act, which eliminates the requirement for businesses to file personal property tax form (FP-31) if they are below the proposed $325,000 property threshold?
1. Streamline the development review and permitting process - Lengthy and unpredictable approval timelines increase costs and discourage investment. Establishing clearer timelines for agency review, improving coordination across agencies, and expanding digital permitting systems would reduce delays while maintaining appropriate oversight.
2. We should align zoning with our housing goals by allowing more housing near transit, along major corridors, and on underutilized public land - Strategic increases in density, particularly near Metro stations and high-capacity bus routes, allow the District to add both affordable and market-rate housing where infrastructure already exists. This approach supports transit use, lowers household transportation costs, and makes housing production more financially feasible.
3. Expand and stabilize tools that support mixed-income development. Programs like the Housing Production Trust Fund and inclusionary zoning help ensure that new development includes deeply affordable units. At the same time, we must provide predictable financing tools that allow projects serving residents at a range of incomes to move forward.
In DC, some workers must obtain occupational licenses from government-appointed boards and pay large fees to work in fields like interior or landscape designer, barber—including hair braiding, cosmetologist, and manicurist, among others. These barriers artificially limit employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for District residents. Do you support or oppose reducing the time and financial requirements necessary to obtain occupational licenses in the fields where licensure is unnecessary and presents no material risks to
consumers?
No answer provided
Efficient & Effective Government
Since 2020, the District’s budget spending has dramatically outpaced new revenue growth. DC will have to spend more efficiently and grow the tax base, without raising tax rates, to sustainably fund core services moving forward. Do you see DC's dramatic budget growth as a challenge that needs to be addressed through increased efficiency while avoiding new taxes on residents and businesses?
Support
What three strategies would you propose to reduce DC government spending or grow our tax base to ensure long term fiscal stability?
Support
Over time, DC lawmakers have added more rules, regulations, and fees that increase costs for small businesses, which are often passed onto consumers, raising prices for everyone. Having more information about the unintended consequences from new legislation can help prevent higher costs for entrepreneurs and residents. Do you support or oppose requiring the Council to review economic impact assessments, generated by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), for all new legislation and regulations that increase regulatory or financial costs for District employers?
Yes
Are there any government rules or regulations that should be updated, streamlined, or eliminated to make government more efficient and lower administrative burdens on residents? Please list up to 3 rules/regulations & how you would change them:
1. Grow the tax base by expanding housing and commercial development - The District's housing shortage constrains population growth and economic activity. Allowing more housing near transit, streamlining approvals for mixed use projects, and activating underutilized public land will bring more residents, workers, and businesses into the city. A larger population and stronger commercial corridors (like Rhode Island Ave.) expand the tax base without raising tax rates.
2. Modernize procurement and contracting to reduce inefficiencies - The District spends billions annually on contracts, and better oversight, competitive bidding, and performance reviews can reduce waste while improving outcomes. Strengthening centralized procurement practices and data transparency can ensure taxpayers are getting the best value for public dollars.
3. Focus on economic development incentives more strategically - Tax abatements and subsidies should be evaluated rigorously to ensure they produce real returns in jobs, housing, and long term revenue. By prioritizing incentives that support small businesses, local hiring, and neighborhood commercial corridors rather than broad subsidies, we can grow economic activity while protecting public resources.
Support
Do you support legislation to authorize the Chief of Police to declare dedicated zones with earlier curfews for large groups of young people as needed?
1. Streamlining business licensing and permitting - The District's licensing and permitting processes can be confusing and time consuming, especially for small and immigrant owned businesses. I support creating a clearer "one stop" system that consolidates applications across agencies, reduces duplicative paperwork, and establishes predictable timelines for approvals.
2. Modernizing housing and rental compliance processes - The District's housing regulatory framework can be difficult for both tenants and responsible housing providers to navigate. I support establishing a comprehensive rental registry and modernizing reporting requirements so compliance is clearer and enforcement is more targeted.
3. Improving government service delivery through digital modernization - Many residents still encounter outdated forms, multiple agency portals, and inconsistent data sharing across agencies. I support expanding digital service platforms that allow residents to submit documents, track applications, and access services in one place.
Please provide 1 – 3 policies or strategies you support to make residents, workers, and businesses safer in DC.
More officers
MPD Funding: Maintain current funding
Quality Education
In 2006, DC had one of the worst performing public school systems in the country. Only 12% of eighth graders were proficient in reading and 8% in math, only 43% of students graduated in five years, and the system was mired in mismanagement. Following the passage of the Public Education Reform Amendment Act (PERAA) of 2007 and enabled by PERAA’s governance reforms, DC tripled proficiency in reading and math and saw the highest rate of post-COVID test score improvement in the country. Do you support or oppose Mayoral control with Council oversight of the District’s public school system, as established by the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007?
No answer provided
Approximately 48% of DC public school students attend charter schools, which are free, public, and open to all students from all wards. Do you support or oppose funding DC Public School (DCPS) and DC public charter school students at equal levels, weighted by student need, through the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula?
I support a balanced public safety strategy that combines prevention, accountability, and strong community partnerships. First, we must continue investing in violence interruption and youth opportunity programs that address the root causes of crime. Expanding workforce development, mentorship, and after school programming helps keep young people engaged and reduces the likelihood of involvement in the justice system.
Second, we need to strengthen accountability for dangerous behavior that threatens residents and workers. I co-introduced the STEER Act to hold reckless drivers accountable and improve enforcement against repeat offenders who put people at risk on our streets. Traffic violence is a serious public safety issue, and we must continue pairing enforcement with safer street design and traffic calming.
Third, we must address the retention crisis facing the Metropolitan Police Department by strengthening recruitment and retention strategies. During my first term, the Council has focused on stabilizing the workforce by improving hiring pipelines, supporting officer wellness, and ensuring officers have the resources and training needed to do their jobs effectively. Public safety depends on a well staffed, professional department that reflects the communities it serves.
Chronic truancy among DCPS students has increased dramatically in recent years. How do you propose we reduce truancy levels to ensure students receive a quality education?
Oppose
Regarding Mayoral Control: This is not a simple yes-or-no question. Under the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007, mayoral control brought clearer lines of authority and, in some respects, improved efficiency and accountability in the District's school system. We have made progress under this structure, and I believe we should protect the stability it has created. At the same time, that does not mean the current model cannot or should not evolve.
One important step is strengthening the independence and authority of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education so it fully functions as the District's state education agency for all schools, not just when it is politically convenient. OSSE should be empowered to set standards, analyze performance, and ensure compliance across both DCPS and charter schools without undue political influence. A stronger, more independent OSSE would help ensure equity and consistency across the system.
(Optional) Notes Provided by Candidate
Support