DC Dept of Public Works is responsible for solid waste management (including recycling), streets & highways, transportation services (including transit), public space management, and some storm water management responsibilities.My job is to help DPW integrate infrastructure investments with economic development objectives and to help make DPW financially self-sufficient. I have been investigating a property tax technique (known as the "two-rate" or "split-rate" property tax). By reducing taxes on building values and increasings taxes on land values, cities can encourage owners of boarded-up and vacant property to put them back into use. The result is more compact, transit- and pedestrian-oriented development. By increasing the utilization of vacant urban lots, demand to develop rural property can be reduced. (I can provide more info on this if you are interested.)