D.C. Council Chairman Vince Gray is already stepping into the role of the city’s chief executive.
Though he’s still only the presumptive mayor-elect, Gray has taken the reins in the face of financial crisis as Mayor Adrian Fenty fades into the background of his lame-duck term.
> Gray responded quickly to Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi’s Monday announcement that the city faces a $175 million budget gap.
> On Wednesday, the winner of the Democratic mayoral primary called on Fenty to order an immediate hiring and promotion freeze.
> A day later, Gray was at it again, saying he wants to cut spending before considering increases in taxes and fees.
“Chairman Gray has definitely stepped up his public profile with regard to policy since the primary,” said longtime D.C. political observer Terry Lynch. “I don’t recall his being quite as outspoken on which direction to take on matters. He usually waits on the executive branch. … Gray is obviously realizing that’s the role he’s likely to fill.”
It’s the mayor’s job to introduce budget measures to the council, but Fenty appears to be punting to Gray, who is in the unprecedented position of being both council chairman and the Democratic mayoral nominee. Fenty has been silent on the budget shortfall, despite repeated attempts for comment. On the day Gray called for the hiring freeze, Fenty missed an evening news conference outside a burned out building in Columbia Heights. A spokeswoman said he was stuck in traffic. There’s still no word from Fenty on whether he’ll order the hiring freeze, which only the mayor can do.
Gray’s approach to the budget shortfall is an example of his style, said Gray’s campaign political adviser Mo Elleithee.
“Voters looking at the actions he’s taken this past week will see an expansion of the fiscal responsibility Gray called for on the campaign trail,” Elleithee said. “They can take this as a sign of what his budgeting style would be if he’s the next mayor.”
Though cutting spending might not be what Gray’s biggest backers — particularly unions — were hoping to see, Lynch said.
But “he’s got a long honeymoon, at least six months,” Lynch said. “Typically, the first people winners take on are the people who backed them.”
