Last month’s congressional requirement that the city tighten financial controls over the city’s 37 Advisory Neighbor-hood Commissions has brought forth in recent weeks a flurry of suggestions for reforming the city’s troubled system of elected neighborhood government.

Although no money was appropriated for ANCs in the D.C. budget passed by Congress last month, the bill allows D.C. City Council to fund the ANCs from elsewhere within the budget once tighter controls are in place.

At an oversight hearing Nov. 5 before the council’s Committee on Government Operations, interim D.C. Auditor Deborah K. Nichols testified that nearly $600,000 in back disbursements is currently being withheld from ANCs that have failed to file quarterly reports for months or even years.

Those funds could eventually be reprogrammed to fund the ANCs for the current fiscal year, said committee Chairman Kathleen Patterson, D-Ward 3.

Amid a sea of suggestions — ranging from ANC term limits to a citywide ANC website — it also became clear to many that the real problem with ANCs is not embezzlement of funds but lack of training and support for commissioners.

"In the last four years, there have been only four instances of what could be described as deliberate wrongdoing," Nichols said.

Instead, Nichols testified, she found "a pattern of deficiencies among certain ANCs" such as inadequate record keeping, lack of documentation and an inability to make quorum.

Nichols said laws currently on the books would be sufficient if only they were enforced. For example, she said, every ANC is required to submit an annual budget as well as an annual report of recommendations to city council, yet many simply neglect to do it.

"If we had proper enforcement and oversight, the vast majority of the problems would disappear," said James Berry, who chairs ANC 5C and the citywide ANC Assembly. "Most people don’t even know what the rules are."

The task before council is to increase oversight and controls to prevent abuse and increase efficiency without making the rules so burdensome that no one wants to do the job, said Councilman David Catania, R-At Large, a former ANC commissioner. It’s already hard enough to convince residents to run for the "thankless" office, he said.

Catania recently proposed a bill that would hold commissioners personally liable for funds improperly expended during their terms. Commissioners authorized to sign checks also would be required to be bonded and to submit their Social Security numbers.

A spokesman in Catania’s office said he likely will soon introduce a second piece of legislation reflecting comments and suggestions from the Nov. 5 hearing.

Other measures up for consideration include mandatory training for commissioners in record keeping and finance, and an increase in resources for the office of the D.C. auditor, where a staff of 11 employees is responsible for reviewing finances not only of the 37 ANCs but of the entire D.C. government.

One ANC reform measure passed by council last year stipulates ANCs that fail to file quarterly reports will permanently lose their funding for the following quarter and the money will revert to the city’s general fund. Before, those funds were withheld until the reports were filed.

Several ANC commissioners said they are looking forward to finally getting some attention from the city.

"We get one day of training every two years," Berry said. "After that, its up to chance."

Copyright 1998, The Common Denominator