Camille C. Barnett Barnett was named chief management officer in December. (File Photo)

By David A. Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 6, 1998; Page B1

The D.C. financial control board is considering delegating more power over the city to the next mayor, a review that comes as the leading mayoral candidates accuse Chief Management Officer Camille C. Barnett of doing a lousy job.

Control board Chairman Alice M. Rivlin has stressed that she does not want the control board to "micromanage" the city's affairs and hopes to speed the restoration of self-government by giving more authority to elected officials.

Yesterday, Rivlin said a meeting between the control board and Democratic nominee Anthony A. Williams last week and a planned closed-door session with Republican nominee Carol Schwartz are designed to forge new relationships and maintain progress on finances, operations, community outreach and self-government.

"What we said to Tony, and will say to Carol, is that as soon as the election is over, we want to work with the new mayor to talk about how we go forward, and how we accomplish the transition back to normal government," Rivlin said yesterday.

Meanwhile, in separate interviews, Williams and Schwartz harshly criticized Barnett, saying she is doing a poor job of improving city services and has prompted too many questions about "cronyism."

Williams – who worked side by side with Barnett to prepare the city's 1998 budget when he was chief financial officer – said he lost confidence in her as she failed to improve District operations rapidly enough. He said she is spending too much time on "mumbo-jumbo" strategic planning rather than improving services and cleaning up the city.

"I was extremely forthcoming and welcoming of Camille when she got here," Williams said. But now, he said, "I'm a disappointed and skeptical camper."

Schwartz called Barnett's role in last summer's improper awarding of a large contract "appalling" and "frightening." The control board canceled the deal between the city and a consultant who used to work with Barnett in Texas.

Schwartz also said that the more she has campaigned throughout the city, the less impressed she has become with Barnett.

"She had a long honeymoon; the honeymoon period is over," Schwartz said. "I want to see results. . . . I do not see the service delivery that has been promised. The city is still dirty."

Barnett – who cites accomplishments in her speeches ranging from faster car inspections and fire hydrant repairs to new parking meters and a functioning morgue – said yesterday that she intends to work closely with the victorious candidate in the November mayoral election. She signed a five-year contract with the control board in January that includes a one-year severance clause equal to her annual salary of $155,000.

"I want to assure all the candidates that whoever is elected mayor, I will help and support that person," Barnett said. "I believe that is part of my job, to work very cooperatively with the mayor and the council, and to do that in a real, consistent and pervasive way. And I think when we work together, it really does help us improve services and hastens the return of home rule."

Both Schwartz and Williams said District voters expect them to produce results and take charge of a unified government that works. Both said they could attract better people to the senior ranks of government if the new mayor had power over all city agencies.

"I want to be accountable for the workings of this government and can't be accountable if I don't have the authority," Schwartz said.

"An almost laser-beam concentration on results is the order of the day," Williams said. "How can we be accountable if we don't have any authority? This is a real opportunity to demonstrate what we can really do."

Since January, the heads of most major city agencies – other than parks and recreation and libraries – have reported to Barnett, who was hired by the presidentially appointed control board to run most of the government day-to-day. Congress created the control board amid a financial crisis in 1995; the board will oversee the District until the city has balanced its budget for two more years.

Williams said he emphasized his quest for home rule when he met with control board members and Barnett last week.

"My goal, as I said to Alice . . . is to work to see that we resume home rule as soon as possible," Williams said. "That is my goal to work on from day one, and I'm going to try to establish that kind of relationship with the control board and council and Congress during the transition and early stages of my administration."

Williams said District residents want the new mayor "to set the tone and agenda." He suggested regular meetings involving the control board, the mayor and the chairman of the D.C. Council.

Schwartz said she also would have met with the control board last week but had a scheduling conflict because of Yom Kippur. "They asked me," Schwartz said. "They weren't showing any favoritism or anything." Schwartz said she is looking forward to her meeting with the control board tomorrow.

Despite questions raised by some control board and city officials, Rivlin defended Barnett's performance yesterday.

"I think Camille is doing an excellent job and recruiting good people and improving services," she said. "I think the services have got a long way to go, but it is not going to be instant perfection here. I think we are on the right track."

At a hearing on Capitol Hill on Friday, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) complained that Barnett and other city officials are making "episodic" improvements instead of overhauling the government's structure in visible ways.

Both Williams and Schwartz said Barnett mostly has achieved progress on projects that were underway before her arrival in January and has failed to move aggressively enough on new initiatives. They also said she has hired too many consultants and people she knew previously, rather than recruiting top talent.

"The District lost major control of the government because of cronyism. And to have that kind of loss, and to see it again, is almost insulting," Williams said. "I really am shocked at the lack of judgment and almost condescending attitude toward the District. People are not stupid."

Williams also said Barnett has not created enough of a sense of urgency. He said the next mayor must set priorities and then "get the job done" swiftly using employees, outside contractors and federal help.

"We have to operate at light speed," Williams said. "The Anacostia Highway is a disgrace. The New York [Avenue] gateway is a disgrace. The place is still a mess. . . . There is an urgent, desperate need to get some traction. We don't have time for fancy plays. Who cares if we have year 2000 performance management? How about 1950s industrial process that gets the streets clean?"

Staff writer Eric Lipton contributed to this report.