Last December, the D.C. Council unanimously voted to place a “budget autonomy” referendum on the April 23 special election ballot over the objections of Mayor Vincent Gray (who signed the bill anyway) and D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan. Both the mayor and the city’s top lawyer reluctantly admitted it was not a good idea to bypass congressional control of local spending via popular referendum.

In a letter to the council, Gray expressed “significant doubt” regarding the “legality and wisdom” of unilaterally attempting to amend the city’s 1973 Home Rule Charter. Nathan underscored the mayor’s concerns, correctly noting that action by Congress, which created the charter, is “the only sound and long-term way of getting budget autonomy.”