Opinion ID: 1436710
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Contending Positions.

Text: The dispute between the parties with respect to the merits of the preliminary injunction turns largely on the proper construction of the OBSEA. The DCRL, as we have noted, requires the Mayor to provide collection services for separated metal and glass. D.C.Code § 6-3407(d). In April 1995, however, as a result of the District's severe fiscal crisis, the Council enacted the OBSEA and amended the DCRL. The OBSEA's preamble states that one of the statutory purposes was to condition the operation of the recycling program on the availability of appropriations. 42 D.C.Reg. at 2217. Section 504 of the OBSEA states that the provisions of the DCRL shall only apply to the extent of funds available through the recycling surcharge in [D.C.Code § 6-3415] or appropriated moneys allocated for solid waste management activities. 42 D.C.Reg. at 2229-30. Prior to the enactment of the OBSEA, the Mayor had submitted to the Council proposed legislation which would have unconditionally authorized suspension of the curbside residential recycling program. In a letter transmitted with his proposal, the Mayor stated that [t]his legislation is necessary because the volume of solid waste disposed at the Lorton facility [from which recycling surcharge revenues are derived] is not adequate to fund the recycling program as envisioned under the existing law. The Council did not enact the amendment proposed by the Mayor, but responded to his concerns by authorizing him to fund the program either from the recycling surcharge revenues or from funds previously allocated to solid waste management activities, and also by conditioning his obligation to continue the program on the availability of funds from those sources. The Council's use of the word only in the OBSEA established that the Mayor was not authorized or required to fund the recycling program with funds which the District did not have. The Sierra Club construes the OBSEA to mean that the Mayor must continue the recycling program so long as there are appropriated funds remaining in DPW's solid waste management budget, regardless of whether those funds are needed for other purposes, such as trash pick-up or alley cleaning. The District argues, on the other hand, that the OBSEA authorizes, but does not require, the Mayor to use solid waste management appropriations to operate the recycling program. [10] The District insists that, under the OBSEA, the Mayor retains the discretion traditionally accorded him in making budgetary decisions. See D.C.Code § 47-310(a)(1), (9) (1990); cf. Hazel v. Barry, 580 A.2d 110, 112-14 (D.C. 1990) (holding that the Mayor has the authority to reduce funds allocated to the public library in order to balance the budget, regardless of any sums previously appropriated). According to the District, the question whether funds are available from the solid waste management budget must be answered by the Mayor in light of the District's financial condition and the other services, such as trash collection, for which those funds may also be needed. The trial judge agreed with the Sierra Club. She held that the District had a non-discretionary statutory duty to provide curbside collection of recyclables. She ruled, inter alia, as follows: Counsel for DPW have acknowledged that there are funds available to the District with which to operate a City-wide residential curbside recycling collection program, as required by the Recycling Law, albeit insufficient funds necessary to operate both recycling and solid waste collection for the remainder of the year.       The balance of the hardships, or equities, is a close question, but nevertheless favors the Plaintiff.... [I]f the District is required to continue the recycling program, it clearly has insufficient funds, given the proffered state of the government fisc, to maintain all legislatively mandated programs through the end of the current fiscal year. This hardship, however, is squarely a matter available to the legislature to address and resolve.