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Fenty's Budget Amended, Approved
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The earmarks stirred some conversation on the dais. Gray said this was the last year for such noncompetitive grants. Next year, groups will have to submit more extensive records, including tax returns, to be considered for the one-time grants. They will also be subject to random audits.
Council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) said that she had been reluctant to approve the budget because of the earmarks but that plans for next year changed her mind. "I do see some end in sight," she said.
But council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) defended the use of earmarks, which he said "have become something of a dirty word." Earmarks can bypass the city's inadequate contracting and procurement agency, which can delay a nonprofit group doing the work it needs to do, he said.
It was Klingle Road NW that drew the most debate yesterday, though just three council members favored reopening the route. Graham, Schwartz and council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) failed to sway their colleagues to stick with Fenty's plan to use $2 million to reopen the road, which has been closed for 17 years.
Two weeks ago, the council's Committee on Public Works and the Environment voted 3 to 2 to recommend that the council reject Fenty's plan and transfer the $2 million to repair alleys. It was a coup by council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), who has made environmental issues a priority, and reversed a 2003 council vote to reopen the road.
Graham, who heads the committee, immediately scrambled to hold a public hearing on the issue and then offered the plan again yesterday. The vote was 10 to 3.
Catania ended the debate by saying that he respected advocates for both sides but that it was time to put the long fight over the 0.7-mile road to rest. "We have more serious challenges in this city than this tiny road," he said.
Staff writer Mary Beth Sheridan contributed to this report.
