Government of the District of Columbia
The Home Rule Act devolves certain powers of the United States Congress to the local government, which consists of a mayor and a 13-member council.
However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.
The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the council.
Judges are appointed to the court by the President of the United States, without any District (mayoral or council) input, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for fifteen-year terms.
Despite being the District's local appellate court, judges are appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for 15-year terms.
According to the District of Columbia's Department of Human Resources, 20% of the DC government workforce will be eligible for retirement in 2021.
[18] During his administration in 1989, The Washington Monthly magazine claimed that the District had "the worst city government in America.
"[19] In 1995, at the start of Barry's fourth term, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending.
[20] The same legislation created a Chief Financial Officer position for the District,[21] which operates independently of the mayor and council.
[22] Mayor Anthony Williams won election in 1998 and oversaw a period of urban renewal and budget surpluses.
[23] The Government Accountability Office and other analysts have estimated that the city's high percentage of tax-exempt property and the Congressional prohibition of commuter taxes create a structural deficit in the District's local budget of anywhere between $470 million and over $1 billion per year.
Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as Medicaid and the operation of the local justice system; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.
[28] Efforts to raise awareness about the issue have included campaigns by grassroots organizations and featuring the city's unofficial motto, "No taxation without representation", on District of Columbia vehicle license plates.
Those opposed to making D.C. a state claim that such a move would destroy the notion of a separate national capital and that statehood would unfairly grant Senate representation to a single city.
[31] The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 is an organic act enacted by Congress under Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution that formally placed the District of Columbia under the control of Congress and organized the unincorporated territory within the District into two counties: Washington County to the north and east of the Potomac River and Alexandria County to the west and south; left in place and made no change to the status of the charters of the existing cities of Georgetown and Alexandria; and established a court in each of the new counties,[32] with the common law of both Maryland and Virginia continuing to remain in force within the District.
