D.C. Council members booted the city’s acting parks director from her post Tuesday, a slap at Adrian Fenty that is certain to further degrade an already tenuous relationship between the mayor the council.
Ximena Hartsock, acting director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, is out of a job after the 7-5 vote against her. She is the first Cabinet-level nominee to fall in Fenty’s nearly three years in office.
Council members complained that Hartsock, a former D.C. Public Schools principal and member of the DCPS administration team, has repeatedly ignored laws requiring DPR to continue operating day care programs that Fenty has sought to outsource. She “appeared to be simply flouting the law,” said Council Chairman Vincent Gray.
“When you have a director who does not follow the law, I am grievously disappointed,” said Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh.
The council’s parks committee, chaired by Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas, also took issue with Hartsock’s labor management skills, her lack of experience in recreation, and her decision to hire 19 “transition” team members days after 26 DPR staffers were laid off for budget reasons.
Hartsock was a “stellar candidate with a reputation and a resume beyond reproach,” Fenty said in a statement.
Attorney General Peter Nickles, meanwhile, was enraged. He deemed the Hartsock vote, the last week’s public hearing on her confirmation, a “low point for the council.” During the hearing before Thomas’ committee, the nominee’s gender and ethnicity were both raised as issues.
“Absolutely shameless act, to reject a very distinguished Latino woman,” Nickles said. “A misogynist, racist hearing.”
The council-adopted day care bills could not be implemented because DPR didn’t have the money, Nickles said. The AG is “thinking about” whether to fight for Hartsock’s job, “because this is an injustice and I don’t like injustice.”
Hartsock’s council supporters praised the acting director as hardworking, responsive and well-liked in the community.
Hartsock replaced Clark Ray, who was abruptly fired in mid-April.
“It’s just bad for the Department of Parks and Recreation,” Ray said. “There’s got to be continuity in leadership there.”
