Washington, D. C., formally the District of Columbia

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Washington, D.C.
See also: District of Columbia home rule, List of mayors of Washington, D.C. and List of District of Columbia symbols

The John A. Wilson Building houses the offices of the mayor and council of the District of Columbia.
Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution grants the U.S. Congress "exclusive jurisdiction" over the city. The District did not have an elected local government until the passage of the 1973 Home Rule Act. The Act devolved certain Congressional powers to an elected mayor, currently Muriel Bowser, and the thirteen-member Council of the District of Columbia. However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.^[165]
Each of the city's eight wards elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the District as a whole. The council chair is also elected at-large.^[166] There are 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions(ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration.^[167] The Attorney General of the District of Columbia, currently Karl Racine, is elected to a four-year term.^[168]
Washington, D.C., observes all federal holidays and also celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16, which commemorates the end of slavery in the District.^[24] Theflag of Washington, D.C., was adopted in 1938 and is a variation on George Washington's family coat of arms.^[169]

Budgetary issues

The mayor and council set local taxes and a budget, which must be approved by the Congress. The Government Accountability Office and other analysts have estimated that the city's high percentage of tax-exempt property and the Congressional prohibition of commuter taxes create a structural deficit in the District's local budget of anywhere between $470 million and over $1 billion per year. Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as Medicaid and the operation of the local justice system; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.^[170][171]
The city's local government, particularly during the mayoralty of Marion Barry, was criticized for mismanagement and waste.^[172] During his administration in 1989,The Washington Monthly magazine claimed that the District had "the worst city government in America."^[173] In 1995, at the start of Barry's fourth term, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending.^[174] Mayor Anthony Williams won election in 1998 and oversaw a period of urban renewal and budget surpluses. The District regained control over its finances in 2001 and the oversight board's operations were suspended.^[175]