Inspector General Qualifications Temporary Amendment Act of 2003
Bill 15-201

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Veto by Mayor

April 16, 2003

The Honorable Linda W. Cropp
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
The Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 504
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Chairman Cropp:

Pursuant to section 404(3) of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (Self-Government Act), D.C. Code § 1-204.04 (e) (2001), I am hereby vetoing Bill 15-201, the "Inspector General Qualifications Temporary Amendment Act of 2003." As previously indicated, I believe this legislation establishes an unacceptable precedent for addressing personnel matters and represents an intrusion into the separation of powers.

Although ultimately accountable to all of us, the Inspector General must work in an environment where he or she can conduct thoughtful and thorough investigations into any matter within her or his jurisdiction without fear of interference, retaliation, and political influence. This is why the statute establishing the Inspector General's Office provides for a fixed term and requires that the Inspector General may only be dismissed for cause by the Mayor.

The Corporation Counsel's review concluded that this legislation violates the separation of powers principles that undergird our municipal government. The June 1 deadline in this legislation clashes with the statutory requirement that the Inspector General is "subject to removal only for cause by the Mayor" by imposing new requirements on the incumbent which are impossible to meet within the established time frame and therefore would result in dismissal by force of statute rather than action by the Mayor. Using the legislative process to dismiss an incumbent from office undermines the rule of law instead of strengthening it.

Insofar as the Council's concerns about the overall job qualifications for an Inspector General, I welcome the Council's input as we review and revise qualifications and expectations for District government employees and agencies generally. However, the process of revising qualification standards should be undertaken in a judicious manner to ensure that future recruitment efforts result in consideration of the best-qualified candidates for the position. Imposing new requirements on an existing office holder would, in effect, allow the Council to dismiss any agency director that they had disagreements with, thereby undercutting the ability of any Mayor to manage the government.

Sincerely,
Anthony A. Williams