Council Supports Referendum On D.C. Budget Autonomy

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D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced an amendment to the D.C. Charter Tuesday that, if approved in a referendum by District voters, would give the city more say on how it spends local dollars.

D.C.'s home rule charter prohibits the city from spending its own tax dollars without congressional approval. But a new analysis by advocacy groups DC Appleseed and DC Vote contends the District could pass a referendum changing its charter to give Congress less control over D.C.'s budget.

All 11 councilmembers signed on as co-introducers of the amendment, setting up a vote on the measure in December. If approved, it would go before voters during a special election in the spring. From there, it would need to survive a 35-day review in Congress.

Supporters believe the bill could let D.C. set its own fiscal calendar and detach from the federal appropriations process, which causes problems for D.C. when there are threats of a federal government shutdown.

While the push for budget autonomy is not new, past efforts relied on working with members of Congress. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.'s delegate in Congress, said in a statement that she continues to support that process, and thus will not support the referendum effort.

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