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Virginia Business
September 2004

Anthony A. Williams began serving as the fourth mayor of the District of Columbia in January of 1999, 25 years after the city was granted Home Rule. He began a second term in January of 2003. The term extends through December 2006.

Q: How did you get into politics?
A: I was drafted to run for mayor. At the time I was the CFO for the District and didn’t really plan on running. I had served on the Board of Alderman in New Haven, Conn., while I was a student there, and I was in some student government positions during my educational life, but really wasn’t planning on making politics a career.

Q: What was the biggest surprise when you took office?
A: How vicious the political environment can be.

Q: What do you consider to be your administration’s greatest challenge?
A: Public schools, public schools and public schools. It is the biggest challenge facing the city right now. The challenges our public education faces are really the seed of so many issues that flow from the failures there — issues like drugs, crime and violence.

Q: What are some of the things the District is doing to attract businesses?
A: We have created a number of incentives to attract businesses, technology companies and individuals in the form of tax credits and low-interest loans. On top of that we relieve the regulatory burden — to the extent that we can — between the District and Maryland and Virginia. But there is just so much that we can do, given our unique budget situation created by the federal government.
We have tried to improve the District’s image, and I think we have been successful in doing that. We also work hard to market the District now for tourism and business investment, and they have both been very successful.

On top of that we are working hard to improve public safety, improve public works — and both of those are improving. Then we need to do a better job of improving public schools — it is happening with the charter schools and in some areas, but it is not happening as fast as I would like.

Q: How did you get started wearing your trademark bow tie?
A: At one of my former jobs, a couple of my colleagues wore bow ties. They showed me how to tie them, and I liked the look and have stuck with it.

Q: How do you want to be remembered?
A: I would like to be remembered for the first long-term plan in the city developed by the citizens — particularly the planning along the Anacostia River (see story on page 25).

Q: What is your position on the major league baseball stadium?
A: It should be in the District – no question. It’s going to be where it’s going to be, and I think we put forth the very best plan we could. Now the decision is in the hands of Major League Baseball.

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