There’s a dispute among members of the D.C. Council over renaming a road in Ward 8 after the “mayor for life.”
Council member Trayon White introduced a bill on Oct. 24 to rename Good Hope Road after Mayor Marion Barry.
White hoped to vote on the emergency legislation quickly, but D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson blocked the bill from appearing on Tuesday’s council meeting, instead moving it to Dec. 13 for a public hearing.
White posted a video on Instagram voicing his displeasure.
View this post on Instagram
“Thousands of petitions signed by DC residents to ensure they wanted a street name and after this great legend,” said White in his post.
“On Friday, Chairman Mendelson pulled the bill. This is an assault on our intelligence and our democracy need to decide what we need in our own community,” he said. “We don’t need no one else deciding what we want for our people and our community.”
He also pointed to wide support of the bill from other council members and asked residents to call the chairman’s office to comment.
Council Chair Phil Mendelson at a press conference said he wanted public comment on the name change.
“There is this false narrative that I’m opposed to the legislation. I am not. I want to have a hearing and see what the public comment is,” said Mendelson. “I don’t believe it’s appropriate for us to change the name of a street and then have a public hearing to ask people what they think that’s rather disrespectful of the public or the democratic process.”
There is a FALSE narrative that I am against legislation to officially rename Good Hope Road, Marion Barry Way. I AM NOT.
I have already scheduled a hearing for the bill on Dec. 13 @ 10am. This will give members of the public a chance to make their voices heard, on the record. pic.twitter.com/EoD2pIETOk
— Phil Mendelson (@ChmnMendelson) October 31, 2022
Mendelson wrote in a statement that he received “an appalling threat of violence against my office,” because of the false rhetoric.
You can sign up to comment on the name change until Dec. 9.
