Summary#

PR26-0786 is the Food & Friends Property Tax Exemption Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026. It does not itself amend the tax law or extend Food & Friends’ property tax exemption; it declares an emergency so a separate amendment could be adopted after a single reading. The stated goal is to avoid an interruption in the exemption.

• The resolution concerns property at 219 Riggs Road NE, identified as Lot 0005, Square 3766.
• Earlier emergency legislation provided an exemption for 97% of the land there; that law expired, and a temporary law providing the same exemption was due to expire on September 25, 2026.
• The Council states that losing the exemption would adversely affect Food & Friends’ operations.
• The resolution took effect immediately. It does not itself extend the exemption or change property taxes.

What it means for you#

• Food & Friends: The resolution does not itself preserve the tax exemption. A separate amendment would be needed for that.
• Other property owners and taxpayers: It does not change general property tax rules or taxes on other properties.
• District government: The resolution declares emergency circumstances and says a separate amendment should be adopted after a single reading. The resolution’s text says the Council intended to mark up a permanent version on September 22, but does not say whether that separate bill became law.

Money#

No cost estimate or property-tax revenue estimate is included in the resolution.

• The resolution does not appropriate money or set a fee.
• The tax value of continuing or ending the exemption is not stated.

What is unclear#

• Whether a separate emergency amendment was adopted, and whether it extended the exemption before the temporary law expired.
• Whether or when a permanent exemption would take effect.
• How the 97% exemption is calculated, and what tax amount it represents.
• The resolution does not provide details on how losing the exemption would affect Food & Friends’ operations.

Case for#

• The Council says the temporary exemption was due to expire and that its loss would adversely affect Food & Friends’ operations.
• Declaring an emergency could allow the Council to consider a separate extension quickly, before the temporary law expired.
• A separate permanent measure could avoid repeated emergency extensions, though this resolution does not create one.

Case against#

• This resolution does not itself extend the exemption, so it cannot guarantee there will be no tax interruption.
• It supports using a single-reading process for a separate amendment, but does not include that amendment’s full terms for readers to assess.
• The resolution gives no estimate of the tax revenue forgone or the exemption’s financial value.