D.C. Council to Forgo 2010 Pay Raises

D.C. Council members have unanimously decided to give up their cost-of-living increases for the year of 2010, deciding to put that money to better use in the district in light of the economic crisis.

“The city now faces significant revenue shortfalls, the result of failing financial and housing markets and a global economic slowdown not seen in decades,” states the D.C. Council report releasing the new budget for 2010. “Unfortunately, poor D.C. residents will feel the greatest pressure. District residents need the executive and legislative branches of government to show leadership at this challenging time.”

The D.C. Council emphasized that it does not view itself as remote from the people, and is doing its part to minimize the economic downturn. As a result, the Council members are giving up the salary raises they traditionally receive.

In 2006, the D.C. Council passed a law which, in addition to raising each council member’s salary from $92,530 to $115,000, gave the members an automatic cost-of-living adjustment increase each year, unless they voted against it. This increase ranges somewhere from three percent to five percent annually. Their rejection of the cost-of-living adjustment this year is unprecedented for this council.

In addition, Mayor Adrian Fenty’s proposed budget for 2010 called for millions of dollars in cuts and hundreds of layoffs.

“To ensure the District’s ability to provide critical services now and in the future, the proposed budget streamlines operations within virtually every agency,” Fenty said in a press release March 23, when he proposed his budget for the next fiscal year.

The Council’s decision to skip their pay raises could save the city $75,000 – equivalent to the pay of one or two staffers, according to The Washington Post.

– Hillary Gallo

Halcyon House

The effects of the economic recession have pervaded all the way to Prospect Street. Last Thursday, the owners of Halcyon House, on the corner of 34th and Prospect Streets, reduced their asking price from a staggering $30 million to $19.5 million; a 35 percent drop.

The house, which has been on the market for nearly eight months, was one of the most expensive houses in district history, but lost that title last week after its price dropped.

With its 30,500 square foot, five bedrooms and nine bathrooms, the Halcyon House is a nationally-recognized historic site. It was built in 1787 by James Stoddert, the first United States Secretary of the Navy. It has since had a number of owners including Mark Twain’s nephew and Georgetown University which used it as a dormitory in 1961 before building Harbin and Darnall Halls. Following the deaths of several owners within its’ walls, the Halcyon House is rumored to be haunted. In fact, it has been called the second-most haunted house in D.C., after the White House.

The house has many interesting features, including an in-ground pool, a 12-car garage, nine fireplaces and includes a well-renowned rose garden behind the house, which was designed by famed D.C. planner, Pierre L’Enfant.

– Mary McGuire and Sarah Mimms

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