Calling it another layer of bureaucracy, D.C. Council Chairman Linda Cropp on Monday came out against public funding for an Office of Baseball, but a key member of the mayor’s administration said the office would persist with or without legislative support.

The office, which Mayor Anthony Williams established by executive order in May, was devised to coordinate the many groups involved in construction of the Washington Nationals’ $611 million South Capitol Street stadium. But Williams’ request for $750,000 to fund the office met with groans from the council, which had placed a strict cap on construction costs and pledged not to spend one cent of the general fund on the ballpark.