A move by the Baltimore City Council for a public accounting of the troubled $25.6 million program to repair run-down homes for the poor escalated into an emotional debate last night over favoritism in the doling out of taxpayer money.
One council member after another rose to call into question the no-bid program that has been faulted for shoddy work, inflated costs and bogus bills.
But in a sharply divided vote, the council rejected a proposal to hold an unusual hearing before all 19 members and instead turned over the matter to the housing committee.
A hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. March 7.
Troubles with the no-bid program were detailed last week by The Sun, which told how $6.7 million went to businesses run by friends and relatives of Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke and the city's key housing officials.
One-third of the 37 contractors also contributed at least $30,799 to Mr. Schmoke's political campaign.
Second District Councilman Carl Stokes, who urged an investigation by the full council, argued that "the two overriding issues here are corruption and victimization of residents."
His proposal was overcome by a staunch defense by Council Vice President Vera P. Hall, who introduced a rival resolution to limit the review to her own committee.
Mr. Stokes said he spent the weekend touring 10 homes, including six that received repairs totaling $202,813 under the no-bid program. All but one of the six homes were cited by federal auditors for numerous problems, including leaking pipes, buckling floor tiles and poorly installed windows and doors.
"The issue is larger than merely a housing issue," he said. "It affects the very health of children and women who live in these homes."
Holding up a copy of the federal audit of the program, Mr. Stokes continued the call for housing officials to answer the charges of "corruption and scandal."
He also said he wanted to "clear the good names" of black contractors, who he said had been "tainted by the allegations."
Fourth District Councilman Lawrence A. Bell III sided with his colleague.
"There were a lot of established black contractors who know what they are doing who didn't get the work," he said. "They are not people who contribute to one campaign or another campaign. This program was not designed for a few friends or a few political cronies."
A visibly angered Mrs. Hall, a 5th District representative, fended off the maneuvering to shift the investigation out of her housing committee.
After standing up repeatedly to confront those calling for a broader hearing, she won the battle when 10 council members voted to turn over the issue to her committee. Six voted in favor of Mr. Stokes' proposal, and three abstained.
The heated debate over the proposals by Mr. Stokes and Mrs. Hall, who, along with Mr. Bell, want to run for the council presidency, signaled the start of a tough election-year fight.
It also turned into a forum on the leadership of Mrs. Hall.
At one point, 3rd District Councilman Martin O'Malley suggested that the entire council should investigate the program because contracts were awarded to friends and relatives of administration officials.
He pointed out that Mrs. Hall is an administration loyalist and the mayor's floor leader.
Mrs. Hall picked up her microphone while Mr. O'Malley was still speaking. She staunchly defended her work on housing issues, prompting Mr. O'Malley to back down and compliment her efforts.
One council member, Rochelle "Rikki" Spector of the 5th District, tried to stop the bickering.
"I don't think we're going to get any information to shed any light on anything," she said. "You could send it to the sports committee for all the difference it makes."
Council President Mary Pat Clarke agreed, saying housing chief Daniel P. Henson III and his administrators "are not going to tell the truth, even if they come."
The $25.6 million no-bid repair program was intended to fix more than 1,000 publicly owned homes. Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ordered the housing authority to repay $725,759.
Mr. Schmoke and Mr. Henson have defended the program as a successful effort to create new housing for families that were homeless or living in substandard apartments. Both also have insisted that the city does not owe any money.
Yesterday, Mr. Henson reaffirmed that he would welcome the chance to answer questions about the emergency repair program.
He also plans to brief the housing committee on efforts to renovate or demolish about 600 vacant properties in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood and on last spring's auction of 200 boarded-up homes that the city owns.
Fewer than 60 homes were sold in the auction, and many families still are waiting to move into them. As a result, the council called on housing officials last night to explain the problems with the auction.