The Fenty-D.C. Council feud leaves UDC's board of trustees mostly empty

THERE ARE NOW more seats that are vacant than filled on the board governing the University of the District of Columbia. Though Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has sent the D.C. Council a number of nominees -- including two suggested by Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray -- there seems to be no end to this silly but potentially harmful impasse.

Mr. Fenty and Mr. Gray have been at odds for months over who should serve on the governing board of the public university. Of the 15 positions, 11 are to be filled with nominations made by the mayor but confirmed by the council. Currently, 10 seats are empty and of the five sitting trustees, four were selected by alumni and student groups and, as such, are not representative of the broader community.

Progress in filling the seats stalled more than a year ago. Mr. Gray disapproved of the mayor's choices and refused to hold hearings. There are now nine nominees pending before the council and it's unclear when, or whether, hearings will be held. Four nominees -- a health-care consultant, a vice president of an international investment fund, the chief operating officer of an education nonprofit and a public school educator -- will be deemed disapproved if no action is taken by Saturday.

The District's home rule charter gives the executive the right to name his own choices to boards and commissions. The council can either concur or disagree, but it's wrong to circumvent the process by refusing to give the mayor's nominees a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote. If council members think they should pick candidates, then they should change the law to obtain that power.

It's worrisome that the UDC board is not the only case of council petulance in holding up mayoral selections; nominees to the library board of trustees, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the rental housing commission have all languished.

What's being hurt is more than the functioning of these boards and commissions. If government wants its citizens to volunteer their time and talents in public service, it needs to be mindful of how it treats those who step up.