What Powers do the Washington DC city council have?
Why did Congress appoint the District of Columbia a City Council, and what Powers do they control?
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4 Answers
I imagine that the DC city government is pretty much the same as any other city government.
From the wiki:
“The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of Washington, D.C. Because the United States Constitution places the District of Columbia under the sole control of Congress, all acts of the council are subject to congressional override, and thus the council has less power than most city councils in the United States. However, because the District is not part of any state, Congress has devolved many powers normally exercised by state governments to the District’s government; thus, the council considers many matters that would fall to county and state legislatures elsewhere in the United States.”
The school board has greater de facto power and capacity. The school board existed long before the beginning of home rule—before 1973, D.C. had no mayor and no city council—and it controls a large budget and has sweeping influence. A position on the school board is generally more coveted, and carries more prestige, than a seat on the city counsel. I know it’s odd but, hey, welcome to D.C.
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