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79-573: The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia . The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the D.C. Council . In addition, the mayor oversees all district services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and the district public school system . The mayor's office oversees an annual district budget of $ 8.8 billion. The mayor's executive office

158-421: A new stadium under construction and a home town that is no longer the laughingstock of the nation ... On his watch, the District underwent its most profound transformation in generations. Williams promoted an investment climate that led to the sprucing up of a city that had gone to seed. Williams is credited with laying the foundations for continued improvement by the city. His final day in office coincided with

237-416: A $ 355 million deficit at the end of 1995 to a $ 185 million surplus in the city's fiscal year 1997. Williams' financial successes in the District made him a popular figure. In January 1998, local media reported that Williams was considering a run for mayor in that year's election; he quickly dismissed the notion, but a "Draft Anthony Williams" movement began building nonetheless. When Barry declined to seek

316-508: A Democratic Party primary to former Council Chair Vincent Gray in August 2010. Mayor Gray won the general election and assumed office in January 2011 with a pledge to bring economic opportunities to more of the district's residents and under-served areas. Gray in turn lost the subsequent Democratic Party primary in 2014 to Councilmember Muriel Bowser , who went on to win the general election and

395-441: A deficit of $ 518 million in the 1996 fiscal year to a surplus of nearly $ 1.6 billion in the 2005 fiscal year. During this same period, the District's bond ratings went from "junk bond" status to "A" category by all three major rating agencies. Williams was instrumental in arranging a deal to move the financially ailing Montréal Expos , a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, to Washington, D.C. Although he faced opposition from much of

474-521: A federal agency and do not answer to the District government. The Attorney General of the District of Columbia is the chief legal officer of the District. Until a charter amendment in 2010 that made the office an elected position, the post was appointed by the Mayor. Following numerous election delays , Karl Racine was elected in 2014 and sworn into office in January 2015. In the District of Columbia, independent agencies are those which are not under

553-649: A fifth term as mayor in the spring of 1998, Williams finally entered the race, resigning as CFO to campaign. Williams instantly assumed frontrunner status in the race, and in September won the D.C. Democratic primary with 50% of the vote in a six-person race, then won the November 3 general election by a 2–1 margin despite not having held any elected office since 1982. Upon his election, the Control Board announced that it would begin ceding back to Williams much of

632-570: A founder and Vice Chairman of the U.S. CFO Council. Williams first ran for office while a student at Yale in 1979 when he was elected to the New Haven, Connecticut , Board of Aldermen . He served until 1982 and during that time served as President Pro-Tempore. Williams first rose to prominence in Washington, D.C., as the District of Columbia's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) during the final term of Mayor Marion Barry , who nominated Williams to

711-514: A more modern government headed by a single commissioner, popularly known as "mayor-commissioner," and a nine-member district council, all appointed by the president. Walter E. Washington was named to the post, and was retained by Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon . Washington was the only occupant of that position. In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act , providing for an elected mayor and 13-member district council, with

790-494: A real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on buying and leasing back government and not-for-profit real estate. In 2009 Williams announced he was stepping down as CEO and that Primum would be dissolved. He joined D.C. law firm Arent Fox on May 14, 2009, as Director of State and Local Practice, assisting governments and municipalities with securing stimulus money and managing their budgets. Williams has also been actively involved in local education initiatives, including serving on

869-533: A side of himself absolutely no one knew, a sense of humor so shrewd and adroit he was way ahead of me the whole time." He went on to describe Williams as "an incredibly, organically, wryly funny man who has turned self deprecation into an art form. He also believes deeply in civic responsibility." In January 2007, Williams entered into a partnership with the Washington-area investment bank Friedman Billings Ramsey Group, Inc. to form Primum Public Realty Trust,

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948-525: A spending cap on the public financing of the new baseball park. Williams was the first sitting mayor of Washington since 1973 to participate in a Presidential funeral in 2004, when he spoke at Ronald Reagan's funeral , held at Washington National Cathedral . His final speech as mayor would also come at the Cathedral in 2006. On September 28, 2005, Williams announced he would not seek re-election in 2006. Williams endorsed Council Chair Linda W. Cropp as

1027-489: 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. 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

1106-528: A successor; however, Cropp lost to Ward 4 Councilmember Adrian Fenty in the Democratic primary. Fenty went on to win the general election. In 2018, Williams was campaign co-chair for S. Kathryn Allen, a former insurance executive seeking an at-large seat on the Council held by Elissa Silverman . An investigation determined that more than half of Allen's signatures were fraudulently collected and her name

1185-426: A write-in candidate. Despite this handicap, Williams won both the Democratic and Republican primaries as a write-in candidate and went on to be re-elected in the general election. During his second term, Williams continued his record of stabilizing the finances of the District. The city was able to balance its budget for ten consecutive years between the 1997 and 2006 fiscal years; the cumulative fund balance swung from

1264-410: Is elected every four years and can be re-elected without term limits. Candidates must live and be registered to vote in the District of Columbia for one year prior to the date of the election. Elections take place in the same year as the midterm Congressional elections on election day in November . However, since the electorate of the district is overwhelmingly Democratic (over 80 percent), in practice

1343-654: Is located in the John A. Wilson Building in Downtown Washington, D.C. The mayor appoints several officers, including the deputy mayors for Education and Planning & Economic Development, the district administrator, the chancellor of the district's public schools, and the department heads of the district agencies. At its official formation in 1801 by Act of Congress , the district consisted of five political sub-divisions: three cities with their own municipal governments, and two rural counties. The City of Washington

1422-652: Is that of an intellectual bureaucrat , especially when compared to the colorful Barry. He is known for his signature bow tie . In 1997, Governing Magazine named him "Public Official of the Year". Driven by a growth in local revenues, income and sales taxes, Williams managed District resources to improve services, lower tax rates, improve the performance of city agencies and invest in infrastructure and human services. This dramatic turnaround required transformational improvements in cash management, budget execution, and revenue collections. After many years of declining population,

1501-462: Is the publication and compilation of the current regulations. The District of Columbia Register (DCR) gives brief information of actions of the Council of the District of Columbia (such as resolutions and notices of council hearings) and actions of the executive branch and independent agencies (such as proposed and emergency rulemaking). The District observes all federal holidays and also celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16, which commemorates

1580-528: The Bank of Georgetown . In April 2012, Williams was appointed the chief executive officer/executive director of the Federal City Council . The private organization, founded in 1954, is a group of business, civic, educational, and other leaders interested in promoting economic development and livability in Washington, D.C. It is considered one of the most influential groups in the city. Williams

1659-617: The House floor . The District has no official representation in the United States Senate . Neither chamber seats the District's elected "shadow" representative or senators . D.C. residents are subject to all U.S. federal taxes. In the financial year 2012, D.C. residents and businesses paid $ 20.7 billion in federal taxes; more than the taxes collected from 19 states and the highest federal taxes per capita . A 2005 poll found that 78% of Americans did not know that residents of

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1738-543: The Old Naval Hospital on Capitol Hill , the warden's house at St. Elizabeth's Hospital , and several former embassies and chanceries before issuing a final report recommending a plan proposed by the Eugene B. Casey Foundation to privately finance the construction of a residence in District of Columbia's Foxhall neighborhood and donate it to the district under the name of The Casey Mansion. The council approved

1817-575: The Supreme Court of the United States , a United States court of appeals , or the highest appellate court of any state. The court consists of a chief judge and eight associate judges. The court is assisted by retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges. 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. The DC Courts are

1896-587: The West Adams area of Los Angeles. He later attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles, and then Santa Clara University . There he became active in the anti-Vietnam War movement as well as President of his sophomore class. But his academics suffered and he eventually left school. Shortly thereafter he joined the Air Force. He volunteered for Vietnam, but was kept in the country to work as an aide in

1975-699: The 354th Tactical Fighter Wing command post. He sought an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy but was instead sent to the academy's preparatory school because of his poor grades at Santa Clara. He excelled and earned an appointment to the academy. Instead Williams sought to leave the Air Force as a conscientious objector, and was given an honorable discharge in 1974. After that, he worked giving piano and clay sculpture and other tactile art lessons to blind children and counseling Vietnam War veterans in Los Angeles. In 1975, he enrolled at Yale using his veteran's benefits to help pay

2054-677: The Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE) named Washington, D.C., the top global and U.S. city for real estate investment. (It made the top slot again in 2003 and 2004.) Williams also alienated some lower-income residents. His first term in office was marked by the beginning of a period of gentrification throughout the city. Longtime residents complained of being priced out of their homes and neighborhoods and forced to move to neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland . In addition, one of Williams' budget-trimming measures

2133-504: The Constitution of the United States, and will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, which I am about to enter. The chairman of the District of Columbia Council becomes acting mayor when a mayor dies in office, resigns, or is unable to carry out the duties of mayor and if the mayor did not designate an Acting Mayor . The chairman serves until a special election can be held and certified by

2212-651: The D.C. Council, Williams eventually prevailed. In late December 2004, the Council approved by one vote a financing plan for a new stadium. The new team, the Washington Nationals , began playing in April 2005, the first time since 1971 that the nation's capital had its own MLB team. While in office, Williams was elected president of the National League of Cities in December 2004. In January 2005, he

2291-717: The DC Mayor direct authority over the DCPS and transferred the oversight responsibility for the charter schools previously authorized by the DC Board of Education to the PCSB. Independent agencies often work with subordinate agencies and the Mayor's office, and their members may be appointed by the Mayor. For example, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) is an independent adjudicatory body responsible for

2370-525: The Democratic Primary ballot had irregularities with hundreds of names on the petitions . As a result of the irregular petitions, the Williams campaign was fined $ 277,700 by the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics and his name was removed from the Democratic Primary ballot. He was forced to run as a write-in candidate . His chief opponent, minister Willie Wilson, also ran as

2449-760: The Deputy State Comptroller of Connecticut . Williams also served as executive director of the Community Development Agency in St. Louis, Missouri ; assistant director of the Boston (MA) Redevelopment Authority; and adjunct professor at Columbia University . Williams was appointed by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the first CFO for the US Department of Agriculture , as well as

Mayor of the District of Columbia - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-578: The Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure. Each Deputy Mayor's office has oversight over certain relevant government agencies. For example, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services oversees D.C. agencies including the Department of Health Care Finance, Department of Human Services, and the Department of Disability Services. There are two types of agencies as laid out by the Code of

2607-445: The District has had a steady growth in population. In its July 2004 issue, Black Enterprise magazine selected Washington, D.C., as the second-best city in the country for African Americans to live and work in because of its housing, jobs, health care and economic development. Under Williams' administration, the District's crime rate dropped dramatically. By the end of his tenure, hotels reported 2% vacancy rates. Real estate values in

2686-508: The District of Columbia The District of Columbia has a mayor–council government that operates under Article One of the United States Constitution and the District of Columbia Home Rule Act . 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

2765-424: The District of Columbia is the legislative branch. Each of the city's eight wards elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the District as a whole. The council chair is also elected at-large. The Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court . It hears cases involving criminal and civil law . The court also handles specialized cases in

2844-425: The District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. At least 114 days must pass between the mayoral vacancy and the special election, which is held on the first Tuesday thereafter. As of September 2024, no such vacancy has ever occurred. The mayor has the responsibility to enforce all district law; administer and coordinate district departments, including the appointment of a District Administrator and heads of

2923-478: The District of Columbia has no official residence, although the establishment of one has been proposed several times in the years since the office was established in 1974. In 2000, Mayor Anthony A. Williams appointed, with the District of Columbia Council's approval, a commission to study the possibilities of acquiring property and a building to be used as the official residence of the District of Columbia's mayor. The commission examined several possibilities, including

3002-607: The District of Columbia have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states. 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 . There is evidence of nationwide approval for D.C. voting rights; various polls indicate that 61 to 82% of Americans believe that D.C. should have voting representation in Congress. Despite public support, attempts to grant

3081-738: The District of Columbia to local government. It enacted the District Charter (also called the Home Rule Charter), furthering District of Columbia home rule . 38°54′17″N 77°00′59″W  /  38.90472°N 77.01639°W  / 38.90472; -77.01639 Anthony A. Williams Williams, born Anthony Stephen Eggleton in Los Angeles on July 28, 1951, was adopted at age three by Virginia and Lewis Williams (a postal worker), who raised him and seven other children in their home: Lewis IV, Virginia II, Carla, Cynthia, Leif Eric I, Kimberly, and Loris. Williams grew up in

3160-504: The District of Columbia's Department of Human Resources, 20% of the DC government workforce will be eligible for retirement in 2021. The DC government offers a host of internship opportunities for recent graduates seeking employment. The Code of the District of Columbia is the subject compilation of enacted legislation, and also contains federal statutes which affect the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR)

3239-429: The District of Columbia. The first are called "subordinate" agencies and answer to the Mayor's Office. They may also be called "public agencies" or "government agencies". Most of these subordinate agencies are organized under the office of the relevant Deputy Mayor: Subordinate agencies differ from independent agencies that, while created by the legislature, do not answer directly to the Mayor's Office. The Council of

Mayor of the District of Columbia - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-419: The District remained high despite regional and national trends in the opposite direction. On the eve of Williams' last day in office in 2006, The Washington Post columnist Colbert I. King wrote, Williams leaves in his wake a city with a good bond rating, sizable cash reserves, a more accessible health-care system for the underserved, several promising neighborhood projects, a major league baseball team ,

3397-476: The District voting representation, including the D.C. statehood movement and the proposed District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment , have been unsuccessful. Opponents of D.C. voting rights propose that the Founding Fathers never intended for District residents to have a vote in Congress since the Constitution makes clear that representation must come from the states. Those opposed to making D.C.

3476-552: The District's federal appellate court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit . The Court of Appeals is authorized to review all final orders, judgments, and specified interlocutory orders of the associate judges of the Superior Court, to review decisions of administrative agencies, boards, and commissions of the District government, and to answer questions of law presented by

3555-444: The District's regulatory authority for alcoholic beverage and cannabis. Other independent agencies include: There are 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration. The mayor and council set local taxes and a budget, which Congress must approve. According to

3634-466: The District. The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington and Georgetown and established a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia. Though Congress repealed the territorial government in 1874, the legislation was the first to create a single government for the federal district. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 devolved certain congressional powers of

3713-449: The Mayor oversees all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and the District of Columbia Public Schools . The mayor's office oversees an annual city budget of $ 8.8 billion. The Mayor appoints five Deputy Mayors: the Deputy Mayor for Education, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, and

3792-483: The U.S. Senate for fifteen-year terms. All appeals of Superior Court decisions go to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals , which is the highest court . Established in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court , except that its authority is derived from the United States Congress rather than from the inherent sovereignty of the states . The Court of Appeals should not be confused with

3871-427: The United States. As head of the district's executive branch, the mayor has the power to draft and enact executive orders relative to the departments and officials under their jurisdiction and to reorganize any entities within the executive branch (except in the case of formal disapproval by the council). Additionally, the mayor reserves the right to be heard by the council or any of its committees. Government of

3950-484: The Washington funeral of Gerald Ford . In 1999, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gene Weingarten interviewed Williams and wrote a feature article titled "A Funny Thing About the Mayor ... He's Funny" published in The Washington Post 's Style Section. In October 2016, after bumping into Williams when both men were called for jury duty , Weingarten wrote in an online chat that Williams "had shown

4029-655: The acquisition of 1.8 acres (0.73 ha) of national park land to be used as private grounds for the mansion. After several months of delays caused by these political entanglements, the project began movement in October 2003; that December, however, the Casey Foundation suddenly announced that it was abandoning plans for a mayoral residence and donating the land to the Salvation Army. Plans for an official residence have remained inactive ever since. The mayor

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4108-502: The bill. He left school to start a map business that failed and returned in 1979. In 1982, he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Yale College , where he was a member of the literary society St. Anthony Hall . In 1987, he earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University . Williams served as

4187-559: The boards of the nonprofit organizations D.C. Children First and the national nonprofit Alliance for School Choice . In March 2008, Williams made headlines by purchasing a home in D.C., a condominium on the city's revitalizing H Street NE corridor. Williams served as a member of the Debt Reduction Task Force at the Bipartisan Policy Center . In 2012, Williams joined the board of directors of

4266-457: The council and intervene in local affairs. Similar to the Federal government of the United States, the District of Columbia has an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch. The Mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the council. In addition,

4345-421: The departments (subject to confirmation by the council); to set forth policies and agendas to the council, and prepare and submit the district budget at the end of each fiscal year. The mayor has the powers to either approve or veto bills passed by the District of Columbia Council; to submit drafts of legislation to the council; and to propose federal legislation or action directly to the president and/or Congress of

4424-511: The direct control of the Mayor's office. They may also be called "quasi-public" or "quasi-governmental" agencies. For example, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system and answers to the Mayor through the Deputy Mayor for Education. However, the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (PCSB) was created in 1996 as a second, independent agency with authorization authority for public charter schools. The DC Council passed legislation in 2007 giving

4503-499: The end of slavery in the District. The flag of the District of Columbia was adopted in 1938 and is a variation on George Washington's family coat of arms . The city's local government, particularly during the mayoralty of Marion Barry , was criticized for mismanagement and waste. During his administration in 1989, The Washington Monthly magazine claimed that the District had "the worst city government in America." In 1995, at

4582-497: The executive authority it had stripped of the mayor's office during Barry's tenure. During his first term he restored the city to the financial black, running budget surpluses every year and allowing the control board to terminate itself two years ahead of schedule. He brought some $ 40 billion of investment to the city. Unprecedented capital investments and service improvements also came to some disadvantaged neighborhoods under Williams' administration. Controversially, Williams accepted

4661-430: The federal charter was amended to allow the mayor to be popularly elected, although only white male property owners could vote. In 1848, the property-ownership requirement was lifted, and in 1867, Congress extended the franchise to Black males over President Andrew Johnson 's veto. The district as a whole had no governor or any other executive position in that period. In 1871, with the District of Columbia Organic Act ,

4740-414: The first elections to take place the following year. Incumbent mayor-commissioner Walter Washington was elected the first home-rule Mayor of the District of Columbia on November 5, 1974. He took office on January 2, 1975, heading the district's first popularly-elected government in over a century. The local government, particularly during the mayoralty of Washington's successor, Marion Barry (1979–1991),

4819-493: The first woman to lead the district. Barry was elected again in 1994, and by the next year the district had become nearly insolvent. In 1995, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending and rehabilitate the district government. Mayor Anthony Williams won election in 1998. His administration oversaw a period of greater prosperity, urban renewal , and budget surpluses. The district regained control over its finances in 2001 and

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4898-503: The following areas: family court , landlord and tenant , probate , tax , and traffic offenses . The Court consists of a chief judge and 61 associate judges . The Court is assisted by the service of 24 magistrate judges and retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges. Judges are appointed to the court by the President of the United States, without any District (mayoral or council) input, and confirmed by

4977-423: The mayor is almost always determined in the Democratic primary election, held on the second Tuesday in September. The mayor is sworn in on January 2 following the election, taking the following oath: I, (mayor's name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the laws of the United States of America and of the District of Columbia, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend

5056-550: The mayor's office; while Barry had the authority to appoint Williams, only the Control Board had the authority to fire him. This gave Williams an unusual level of political strength in dealings with the mayor, with whom he had a number of very public battles; Williams, who had the support of the Control Board as well as Congress, tended to win these battles, even gaining power in 1996 to hire and fire all budget-related city staffers. Given this political clout, Williams began steering D.C.'s finances toward financial recovery, moving from

5135-450: The operation of the local justice system ; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance. The District is not a U.S. state and therefore has no voting representation in the Congress. D.C. residents elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives , currently Eleanor Holmes Norton (D- D.C. At-Large ), who may sit on committees, participate in debate, and introduce legislation, but cannot vote on

5214-516: The oversight board's operations were suspended. 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

5293-440: The oversight board's operations were suspended. Williams did not seek reelection in 2006. Councilmember Adrian Fenty defeated Council Chairwoman Linda Cropp in that year's Democratic primary race to succeed Williams as mayor and started his term in 2007. Shortly upon taking office, Fenty won approval from the district council to directly manage and overhaul the district's under-performing public school system. However, Fenty lost

5372-401: The plan in 2001. However, residents objected to the plan on the grounds that it aggrandized and insulated the mayor from his constituents; that the location, rather than symbolizing District of Columbia's economic and ethnic diversity, would place the mayor in one of the district's least diverse, wealthiest, and most exclusive communities; and, especially, that the Casey Foundation's plan required

5451-424: The position in September 1995. By that time, however, Washington was in the midst of a fiscal crisis of such proportion that Congress had established a financial control board charged with oversight and management of the District's finances. The same legislation had created the position of Chief Financial Officer, which had direct control over day-to-day financial operations of each city agency, and independence from

5530-485: The resignation of aide David Howard, a former Williams campaign worker who handled citizen complaints for the mayor’s office, for using the word "niggardly". By 2001, real property values were climbing steadily and Washington, D.C., was experiencing a real estate investment boom in the residential, commercial and retail markets. Congress dissolved the Financial Control Board in September 2001. In 2002

5609-444: The start of Barry's fourth term, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending. The same legislation created a Chief Financial Officer position for the District, which operates independently of the mayor and council. Mayor Anthony Williams won election in 1998 and oversaw a period of urban renewal and budget surpluses. The District regained control over its finances in 2001 and

5688-404: The three remaining subdivisions within the district (Washington City, Georgetown , and Washington County) were unified into a single government. The office of mayor was abolished and the executive became a territorial governor appointed by the president. The district was overseen by governors, then by a three-member board of commissioners, until 1967. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson created

5767-510: 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, with the common law of both Maryland and Virginia continuing to remain in force within

5846-472: Was criticized for mismanagement and waste. Barry defeated Mayor Washington in the 1978 Democratic Party primary. Barry was then elected mayor, serving three successive four-year terms. During his administration in 1989, The Washington Monthly magazine claimed that the district had "the worst city government in America". After being imprisoned for six months on misdemeanor drug charges in 1990, Barry did not run for reelection. In 1991, Sharon Pratt Kelly became

5925-587: Was elected Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). Williams was not without detractors. His international traveling was criticized, as was his failure to purchase a home in D.C., despite his aggressive publicity campaign to convince residents to buy homes in the city. Some of his constituents and members of the D.C. Council (including his successor, Adrian M. Fenty ) criticized Williams' deal with Major League Baseball for conceding too much and not providing

6004-463: Was not included on the ballot. Williams did not comment publicly about the incident. Williams was generally seen as a moderate; he had good relations with Congress and the White House, business and labor, and the community and region. Unlike many Democrats, he said he was "open" to Sam Brownback 's proposal to implement a flat tax in D.C., and he supported school vouchers . His public persona

6083-539: Was one of those three cities. Newly chartered shortly after the district, in 1802, the City of Washington had its own list of mayors from 1802 through 1871 . From 1802 to 1812, the mayor was appointed by the President of the United States ; the City of Washington's first mayor was Robert Brent , appointed in 1802 by Thomas Jefferson . Between 1812 and 1820, the city's mayors were then selected by executive council. In 1820,

6162-405: Was the closure of inpatient services at D.C. General Hospital , the only public hospital in the District. The D.C. Council voted down Williams' proposed closure in the spring of 2001, but their decision was overturned by the Control Board soon afterwards. In 2002, Williams ran for re-election and stumbled into a political scandal. The firm which he hired to collect signatures to put his name on

6241-472: Was then reelected in 2018 and 2022, making her only the second person to serve three consecutive terms as Mayor of the District of Columbia. Currently, the mayor of the District of Columbia is popularly elected to a four-year term with no term limits. Even though District of Columbia is not a state, the district government also has certain state-level responsibilities, making some of the mayor's duties analogous to those of United States governors . The mayor of

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