D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh is planning to introduce a bill next month that would cut down the number of political appointments a mayor can make, a proposal that quickly met support from at least two of her colleagues. The Ward 3 councilwoman announced her plans for the bill one day after a special council committee she headed released a report that found Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration violated nepotism laws and hired cronies. Cheh could not yet say on Wednesday how many of the 160 mayoral-appointed positions could be cut by the bill. She noted the bill would also be designed to increase council oversight, and would require the positions to have job descriptions and candidates to be properly vetted to ensure they’re qualified.
“Having 160 [mayoral appointments] does seem like a large number to accomplish what they need to,” Cheh said. “The larger the number, the greater the opportunity for mischief.”
At-large Councilman David Catania and Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells, who also sat on the committee, expressed their support for Cheh’s bill. At-large Councilman Michael Brown and Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas also sat on the committee, but were not present for Wednesday’s vote.
Catania said he hopes the mayor will work with the council to revise the city’s personnel laws.
He added that the completion of the council’s investigation into the Gray administration’s hiring practices “is an opportunity for the mayor to move forward and return to the business of running this city.”
The report found that Gray’s former chief of staff, Gerri Mason Hall, violated nepotism laws by hiring her son and setting his salary. It listed instances of cronyism, where unqualified but well-connected Gray supporters landed six-figure salaries administration jobs. The report said there was no evidence that Gray himself had done wrong. Instead, it put the blame on the shoulders of Hall, former human resources director Judy Banks, and Lorraine Green, the chairwoman of the Gray for Mayor campaign.
The jobs handed out to family and friends were among the 160 positions Cheh’s bill would target. Cheh said although the number of those jobs should be smaller, they should not be eliminated entirely.
“The only way the mayor can carry out his duties is to have people on board who share his vision,” Cheh said.
