Advocates press Council to raise Marion Barry summer youth pay to minimum wage ($17.95)

Dozens of public witnesses urged the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor to raise compensation for high‑school participants in the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. Parents, program alumni and workforce groups said paying young people the district minimum wage affirms the program’s value and helps families meet basic costs.

"They are not volunteers. They are workers," Tene Lewis, a former MBS YEP participant and CEO of Warriors Empowering District Communities, told the committee in support of Bill 25‑744. Witnesses including John Capozzi and Andre Galowitz recommended aligning 16–21‑year‑old participant pay with the $17.95 district minimum; Galowitz framed a targeted $8.9 million budget increase to maintain current reach while lifting wages.

Council and DOES officials acknowledged strong demand — the Director said MBS YEP expects to serve an estimated 12,000 youth in summer programming — and asked staff for precise cost and slot‑impact modelling. Chairperson Bonds asked DOES to produce an estimate distinguishing 14–15, 16–21 and 22–24 age groups and the net budgetary effect of moving 16–21 year‑olds to minimum wage; staff offered a preliminary estimate to raise 14–21 cohorts costing about $13.26 million depending on assumed wage rates and hours.

Advocates said the change would address fairness and retention in the program; business and host‑site representatives urged careful fiscal planning to preserve placements and program quality. The Committee requested written cost proposals and committed to follow‑up prior to budget decisions.