Phil Mendelson Talks Budget, and the Tricky CFO Relationship

In the latest Hearing the Council video interview (our gala 100th episode!) from early March, Chairman Phil Mendelson talks about this year's budget situation. And, as seems to be the case pretty much every year recently, it's a complex budget year for reasons that are both unexpected and beyond the Council's control. We take a long look at the tricky relationship with the District's Chief Financial Officer. The role is independent by design, but absent any external controls or authority structure, what if anything limits the CFO's decisions and their impact? We take a deep dive into this question, and how it's playing out in larger-than-life ways in this year's budget process. Plus, as always, all Hearing the Council interviews have a "fun round." In the latest interview, we ask the Chairman which of his past or present colleagues he'd choose to partner with on hypothetical odd tasks, from shoveling a sidewalk to going clothes shopping to putting on a puppet show.