Outraged by the squandering of tax money on an emergency program to fix up homes for the poor, Baltimore City Council members want to initiate an unusual hearing to demand explanations from housing chief Daniel P. Henson III.
With the federal government directing the city to repay $725,759 for overpriced work, four council members said yesterday that the council should investigate problems with the $25.6 million renovation program.
A federal audit and a three-part series in The Sun detailed serious deficiencies with the city Housing Authority's efforts to repair more than 1,000 dilapidated homes, including inflated costs and the payment for work that was incomplete or never done.
"I think the citizens feel insulted, quite honestly," said 2nd District Councilman Carl Stokes.
Council President Mary Pat Clarke, 3rd District Councilman Martin O'Malley and 4th District Councilman Lawrence A. Bell III also supported a meeting of the council as a "committee of the whole," which typically happens only for major issues such as reviewing the budget. Mr. Stokes said he would request the meeting Monday night.
All four council members also expressed concern that the housing agency spent more than $24,000 to defend the program in newspaper ads over the past two days.
"The Baltimore City Council has an obligation to get involved immediately and to use our influence to stop the flow of money to ads and other diversionary tactics," said Mrs. Clarke, who is challenging Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke's bid for a third term.
Mr. O'Malley said he believes a detailed report on the no-bid repair program is overdue. He also called the ads "inappropriate."
Council Vice President Vera P. Hall, who chairs the council's housing committee, could not be reached for comment on the proposal to turn over the matter to the entire council. But 4th District Councilwoman Sheila Dixon, who serves on the housing committee, objected.
"I don't think we need that," she said, adding that she agreed with points made in an advertised rebuttal by Mr. Henson. "I think we've only been focusing on a small fraction of the houses, not the ones that were renovated and are doing well."