Photo by FlipMode79

Good morning, Washington. Just as a recent report found that the District government was buying cars its not legally allowed to own, a report released yesterday by Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) found that eight senior Gray aides and agency heads are being paid more than D.C. Council legislation allows. According to the report, Gray’s chief of staff Gerri Mason Hall and the City Administrator Allen Lew’s chief of staff make more than a $193,125 council cap, while six agency heads make more than a $179,000 cap. The report also found that salaries in Gray and Lew’s offices had increased more than 10 percent from September 2010 to March 2011, and generally claimed that only two cases of nepotism had been documented. The City Paper has the full report, the Post has good coverage of the heated debate that ensued between Cheh and Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), who called the report a “whitewash.” Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) sided with Catania, while Councilmember Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) generally played into the report’s conclusions that Gray either adjust the salaries or request a council exemption. The report only adds weight to what Post columnist Robert McCartney said yesterday — maybe it’s time for some resignations.

Possibility of Late-Night Metro Cutbacks Divides Board Members: The three D.C. members of the Metro board are split on whether cutting back on late-night Metro service is a good idea or not, writes WTOP. Member Tom Downs seemed to entertain the idea, which would stop weekend service at midnight instead of 3 a.m., arguing that doing so would allow Metro maintenance workers to more quickly complete needed repairs and renovations. The District’s other two representatives, councilmembers Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) and Michael Brown (I-At Large), were strongly opposed, expressing concern over the estimated $7 million that the city could lose per year.

House OKs Vouchers: The Post reports that the House Government and Oversight Committee voted yesterday to approve legislation that would revive a voucher program for the District. The program, which provides $7,500 to qualifying students to put towards private school tuition, was done away with in 2009 and still provokes divisions within the city — Mayor Vince Gray is against it, for example, while D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown is for it. The measure also includes money for D.C. public schools and charter schools. Like much else coming through Congress these days, it may get hung up in the Senate, where Democratic leaders are opposed to it.

Same-Sex Marriage Vote Expected in Maryland: The Maryland House of Delegates is set to vote on a measure that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state, but it runs the risk of not passing. The Post has all the details.

Vincent Orange Crushes in Campaign Contributions: Former Ward 5 councilmember and citywide candidate Vincent Orange has been quiet this season, even though he’s in the running for the April 26 At-Large Special Election. Despite his relative silence, though, Orange managed to raise $191,000 through March, beating his competition (including presumed frontrunner Councilmember Sekou Biddle) by over $150,000. Not only did he raise more money, but he’s got all of it available to him, meaning that he could well redefine the April 26 special election by putting it all towards getting people to the polls.

Briefly Noted: Former Gray campaign worker Howard Brooks lawyers up … Acne medication can get you suspended from a Virginia high school, apparently … Pepco hires prominent lawyer to study reliability issues.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2010, White House crasher Carlos Allen considered running for mayor (where’s his $110,000-a-year job, huh?) and Mayor Adrian Fenty finally ended a spat with the D.C. Council by handing them Nats tickets. In 2009, Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) returned to work after a kidney transplant and we wondered why Metro would skip a stop.