President Clarke rearranges the chairs

TO THE winners go the spoils, but the losers didn't do so badly.

City Council's new president, Darrell Clarke, has assigned committee chairmanships, granting all 17 members the opportunity to chair at least one committee.

Most members described the lineup as fair and balanced, but it's no surprise, some said, that those who backed him for president are chairing some of the most influential committees.

"It is to be expected that those who served as his critical support base would be commended," said Maria Quinones-Sanchez, who will continue to head the Committee on Licenses and Inspections. She initially backed Marian Tasco for president, and there was speculation that freshman Bobby Henon, former political director for Local 98, would chair that committee.

Majority deputy whip Bill Greenlee, Clarke's closest ally, will chair the Committee on Rules; Bill Green will chair Finance; and Wilson Goode Jr. will head Appropriations. Both also backed Clarke for president. Clarke will continue to chair the Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation. He'll also take up Ethics.

There was rumbling that some members wanted to stick it to those who opposed Clarke, sources said. Meanwhile, the five women on Council wanted representation on its 23 committees.

"I think it's important to have a balance in everything we do," Clarke said, adding, "I haven't got any complaints. "

But Jim Kenney, Clarke's last-minute opponent for the presidency, was none too thrilled about being bumped from chairman to vice-chairman of the Committee on the Environment, which he proposed establishing six years ago.

"I was his opponent and in the end I didn't expect anything," Kenney said. But: "I would not have done that to another colleague. That was a bit over the top."

One freshman member who backed Clarke, Kenyatta Johnson, will chair two committees: Transportation and Public Utilities, and Legislative Oversight. Republican at-large freshman David Oh, who originally supported Tasco, will chair a new committee on Global Opportunities and Creative/Innovative Economy.