Ed Lazere of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute has scooped the reportorial corps with this revelation: District government agency heads have been asked to reduce their budgets by some $300 million going into the fiscal 2011 budget planning process.

This news comes from a memorandum [PDF] issued by City Administrator Neil O. Albert last month, which cites flat revenue growth, the cessation of stimulus funding, and need to replenish reserve funds spent to cover a gap in fiscal 2009. The bottom line is that every agency is "required to present expense reductions and revenue generating proposals that could sustain up to a 10% local funds budget reduction target."

Writes Albert: "It is critical that each agency evaluate all spending, and dig deeply into the assumptions that underlie its allocation of resources." Agencies have until Dec. 2 to come up with ideas.

Lazere notes that the "revenue generating proposals" stand to be interesting, given that Fenty made a campaign pledge not to raise taxes, "which severely limits how the city can create new sources of revenue in these cash-strapped times."

Faster, better, cheaper.

That was the rationale offered today by the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty for why at least $120 million in city money has been sent to the D.C. Housing Authority and, in turn, handed to politically connected contractors with the faintest whiff of oversight.

The revelations at the D.C. Council hearing today shocked LL's conscience. And LL's conscience, for the record, is not easily shocked. The revelations included:

Read More "Why Adrian Fenty’s Parks Contracting Scheme Is an Outrage" »

Neil O. Albert, outgoing deputy mayor for planning and economic development, is not happy with some of the D.C. Council's budget proposals. He dispatched a letter [PDF] today to councilmembers taking issue with several proposals contained in budget legislation scheduled for a second and final vote on Tuesday.

Two of the issues involve the fates of onetime public schools. For one thing, the council is proposing that the Grimke School, across Vermont Avenue NW from the east entrance of the U Street Metro stop and current home of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services department headquarters, to be reserved for the African-American Civil War Museum. That's a project headed and championed by former Ward 1 Councilmember Frank Smith. The problem, Albert writes, is that several developers have entered into a bidding process on the property, incurring "significant expense" to do so. He asks that the council allow the bidding process to continue.

Another point of contention regards the recently closed Bertie Backus Middle School, on South Dakota Avenue NE close to the Fort Totten Metro station.

Read More "Deputy Mayor Not Happy With Council Budget Moves" »

OK, so Dan Tan out as city administrator; Neil Albert in.

Got that.

But who replaces Albert as deputy mayor for planning and economic development? That is, after all, one of the most powerful slots in city government, in charge of shaping building and development in all corners of the city.

Allow LL to run some names, in order of likelihood:

Greg O'Dell: Currently CEO of the Washington Convention Center Authority, O'Dell's got a crackerjack reputation for getting things done---not least because as president of the Sports and Entertainment Commission he presided over the on-time completion of Nationals Park. The timing is good, too---with the SEC folding into the WCCA, either he or SEC chief Erik Moses will be in need of a job. Working against him: He might be just too nice of a guy.

Robin-Eve Jasper: The current director of the Office of Property Management is a former top aide to Albert and would certainly have his trust, if he has any say in the decision. She's also tough as nails by reputation. Working against her: Fenty's probably happy to have her keep doing what she's doing right where she's doing it.

Valerie Santos Young: If Fenty looks to promote from the bench, as he so often does, he'd have to consider DMPED's current chief operating officer. Good reputation; knows how things have been getting done.

Erik Moses: See above. In his tenure as Fenty's head of Small and Local Business Development, he won Hizzoner's confidence. He's got the relationships. Working against him: Like O'Dell, he's a low-key, laid-back dude.

Leila Finucane Edmonds: The director of the Department of Housing and Community Development has gotten strong reviews from affordable-housing developers, and she's a Fenty loyalist. Working against her: She hasn't been in D.C. that long, and may not have the relationships other candidates do.

Harriet Tregoning: The planning office director would be the out-of-the box choice for Fenty. She's widely respected by the urbanist crowd for her progressive views on development; she'd been a strong advocate for green building and smart growth. However, in this economy, don't look for Fenty to get particularly revolutionary with this pick. At the end of the day, being a planning director's about standing in the way of development (in a good way!), not getting projects done.

Fenty said this afternoon he expects to name the new DMPED in "a few weeks."