By Michael H. Cottman and David A. Vise
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, January 5, 1999; Page B1

What's Your View? Williams received the seal from Marion Barry on Saturday. (By Reginald A. Pearman Jr. – washingtonpost.com) Online Chat Transcript Post reporter Michael H. Cottman, who covers the mayor, was online to discuss the start of Williams's term. He answered questions about the new mayor's plans and the challenges awaiting him. Share Your Opinion Pick out what you see as the top issue for the new mayor from among the suggestions offered by those letter writers. Read What Others Say The Washington Post asked readers to submit letters of advice for Williams. You can see what suggestions they offered.

D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams said yesterday that he intends to ask Congress to give him the power to fire senior city officials who fail to measure up to new high-performance standards he has put in place.

On his first working day as mayor, Williams also said he has given his agency heads seven days to complete a detailed outline of how they plan to improve the quality of services for District residents – without additional funding.

"How they respond to this charge today is their first test," Williams said. "I'm asking for a lot of work in seven days. How they respond will tell me a lot."

He said he would like to be able to fire those who don't perform at higher levels. He currently needs approval from the D.C. financial control board to remove most senior officials.

"I've got to have authority on my own accord to relieve people of their duties," Williams said, saying he also must be able to dismiss top officials whom he "doesn't get along with."

Williams announced several appointments yesterday, including Reba Pittman Evans, a former colleague at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as his chief of staff.

During a morning meeting, Williams distributed a memorandum to more than 50 Cabinet members, agency heads and mayoral staffers saying: "I will ask each of you to develop with me and sign performance agreements. . . . They must be tied directly to the delivery of quality service to our customers, the residents of the District. I will hold you personally accountable for accomplishing these goals and I know you will take pride in achieving them."

Williams appointees, from left: David Howard, public advocate's office; Henry Sumner "Sandy" McCall, deputy chief of staff, external affairs; Beverly D. Rivers, acting secretary of the District; Noel Bravo, deputy chief of staff, operations; Max Brown, legal counsel; and Jacquelyn Ann Flowers, Small Business Administration. (By James A. Parcell – The Washington Post)

When asked which department heads are likely to keep their jobs, Williams said some of them have already been asked to resign.

"Other people may be leaving but haven't been asked yet, and other people we want to stay on a full-time basis," Williams said. "We're staggering how we handle these things, because there's only so much we can do at one time."

Williams praised two agency heads by name: Betty Jo Gaines, the director of parks and recreation, and Mary E. Raphael, the head of public libraries, who was appointed by the Board of Library Trustees last spring. Williams said both administrators had done "a lot with a little."

Raphael, who attended the Cabinet meeting, said it was "very straightforward about Williams's themes and priorities. He made it very clear that he plans to hold agency heads accountable and focus on things that we can fix immediately. He does not want a government that says, 'Come back and see us in two years, and we'll be doing well then.' "

Unlike most new mayors, who have the authority to put entirely new teams in place, Williams inherited many agency directors and must begin reviewing their performance. Many of these officials were hired over the past year by the control board, which had been running most of the city government until it transferred power to Williams on Saturday.

Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Oversight subcommittee on the District, said he would look favorably upon a request from the new mayor to amend the law so that Williams could fire top officials on his own. Davis said such a request would address one of the ongoing problems in the District: power that is spread among too many players.

"He has a lot of goodwill up here. If he wants additional authority, this is the time to ask for it," Davis said.

He said it is likely that some agency heads will lose their jobs in the coming months as Williams demands stronger performance. And he said Congress would support the new mayor's efforts.

"Tony is going to set very high standards. You are going to find, inevitably, that some of these people are not going to be able to measure up," Davis said.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said she supports Williams's quest for greater power for the mayor's office and wants to go even further. The first bill she intends to introduce in the new Congress, dubbed "Democracy 2000," would return home rule powers to the mayor and D.C. Council one year ahead of schedule.

Under current law, the city must balance its budget for two more years before the control board's authority can be extinguished. Approval of the Democracy 2000 bill is justified, Norton said, because the city's financial turnaround has been more rapid than anticipated.

John W. Hill Jr., the control board's executive director, said Williams sent a strong message to agency heads yesterday morning. "It sounds like he is trying to put forward a sense of urgency, which is . . . appropriate," Hill said.

Williams announced 12 appointments at his first news conference, where he showed up wearing his trademark bow tie but no jacket. In addition to chief of staff Evans, who was deputy director of operations at the Agriculture Department and who also worked for the D.C. Convention Center for 11 years, Williams said that Noel Bravo will become deputy chief of staff for operations. He will be responsible for working with agency directors on short- and long-term goals.

Henry Sumner "Sandy" McCall will become deputy chief of staff for external affairs, the liaison to businesses, organizations and associations within the city. Warren Graves, Williams's former campaign director, will be director of intergovernmental relations. Beverly D. Rivers, will be the acting secretary of the District of Columbia. Her appointment requires confirmation by the D.C. Council.

Staff writer Yolanda Woodlee contributed to this report.