D.C. Councilman Marion Barry proclaimed himself “a jobs czar” as well as “mayor-for-life” Thursday after announcing he received a local hiring commitment from a contractor working on the city’s St. Elizabeths redevelopment project, prompting a terse response from Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration.
“I am a jobs czar,” said Barry, whose Ward 8 includes St. Elizabeths. “I don’t just talk about the lack of jobs; I specialize in presenting results.”
In a press release, former mayor Barry used the term “mayor-for-life” three times, for the first time publicly embracing the term used derisively by others to describe him during his four scandal-marred terms as the city’s boss.
Barry said that with his prodding, Parkinson/Grunley had agreed to use D.C. residents for 60 percent of its workforce to stabilize four historic buildings. Barry had placed a legislative hold on the $4.5 million deal because he wanted the contractor to guarantee more jobs for D.C. residents before he — and, by extension, the council — would allow the project to proceed.
D.C. Council rules allow lawmakers to file disapproval resolutions, which permit a single legislator to stall contracts for up to 45 days. A Washington Examiner analysis earlier this month showed that Barry has authored 80 percent of the disapproval resolutions filed since the start of 2011.
Gray, who has called for the legislative branch to review its rules about disapproval resolutions, had slammed Barry over the St. Elizabeths delay in an Aug. 10 letter, saying the former mayor’s actions had “negative implications.”
A Gray spokesman said Thursday that although the mayor was pleased Barry had lifted his hold, the administration felt Barry’s actions would have little lasting impact.
“Contrary to his assertions, no terms of the contract have changed,” Pedro Ribeiro said. “All the council member’s action did was needlessly delay a project critical to catalyzing economic development and creating jobs in Ward 8.”
But Barry defended his approach.
“It’s my priority to get District residents working,” he said. “This should be the top priority for the mayor and the administration, as well. This method has proven successful.”
Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, a longtime Barry colleague, said Barry’s efforts to seize credit didn’t bother him, even as they made Gray’s aides uncomfortable.
“It’s fine,” Evans said. “It’s Marion Barry, and he certainly is an effective council member.”
