Nat Gandhi Will Not Leave Office by June 1

Nat Gandhi is not leaving his job as DC’s chief financial officer as planned on June 1, and
that’s fine by Wall Street.

Last week Gandhi led a contingent of political leaders on an annual pilgrimage to
Manhattan to appeal to bond rating agencies. Mayor
Vince Gray, DC City Council chair
Phil Mendelson, and finance chair
Jack Evans accompanied Gandhi to make the case for keeping the city’s bond ratings high and perhaps
raising them.

The ratings affect the rate at which the District borrows money through municipal
bonds for its capital spending and short-term needs. The higher the rating, the lower
the interest rate and the lower the cost to the government.

In his 12-year tenure as the city’s chief bean counter, Gandhi has measured his success
in raising the bond ratings, which were awful when he took over in 2000. The city’s
finances were in shambles, and a federal control board oversaw the books. Every year
Gandhi has made sure the city balances its books and has advocated keeping the District’s
cash reserves flush. And the bond rating agencies have raised their ratings.

Last week Standard & Poor’s agreed to bump up the city’s rating from A+ to AA- on
its general obligation bonds. On a grading scale, the improvement might seem slight,
but it could save the District millions in borrowing fees, according to the CFO’s
office.

“It’s a significant sign of approval for our finances,” says
Jack Evans, “and it’s another affirmation of Gandhi’s work.”

Gandhi last month announced he would step down on June 1,
less than a year into another
five-year term. He cited personal reasons for his decision to
retire.

His agency also has come under scrutiny for its role in
awarding lottery contracts
and assessing real estate.

But it’s quite likely Gandhi will remain in office months beyond the June 1 deadline,
perhaps into the fall.

Mayor Gray has appointed former mayor
Anthony Williams and Brookings economist
Alice Rivlin to head the committee to recommend Gandhi’s replacement. The committee is scheduled
to hold its first meeting Wednesday.

“We are going to look internally, locally, regionally, and nationally,” Williams tells

The Washingtonian. “We will use our own networks as well as the resources of a search firm.”

Given the time needed to come up with candidates and get them through the approval
process, it could take until September, at the earliest, to fill Gandhi’s job.

Williams’s committee will recommend names to Mayor Gray. That’s not likely to take
place until mid-summer. Once Gray chooses his candidate, he sends the name to the
city council, which could be in summer recess if the nomination arrives in July. Evans’s
finance committee must hold hearings and send the nomination up for a full council
vote.

Then Congress, which created the independent chief financial officer, must approve
the nomination, as well. Congress could hold hearings. Or it can let the nomination
take affect after 30 working days, which would add another month.

After Gandhi resigned, he sent another letter to Mayor Gray saying he was willing
to stay in place beyond June 1 until “my successor is legally authorized to take office.”

Harry Jaffe