A District lawmaker said Thursday that D.C. should end its contract with a nursing home operator if the company refuses to reimburse the city for a $1.8 million fine that taxpayers were forced to pay.

“I want our money back, or I no longer want to do business with them,” at-large Councilman David Catania said during an often tense hearing with officials of VMT Long Term Care Management, a city contractor that runs publicly funded nursing homes in District buildings. “I see no reason to continue to do business with this company.”