Photo by ssteege1.

If D.C. workers were annoyed that a budget deficit forced them to take four furlough days last year, they were probably happy to hear that a surprise budget surplus this year had prompted Mayor Vince Gray and some members of the D.C. Council to repay them.

But today that D.C. Council failed to reach any consensus whatsoever on a $63 million budget surplus, leaving not only 20,000 D.C. workers out of $22 million in pay, but also schools and bond-holders out of money that Gray and D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown had promised them.

Over the last week, Gray and members of the council have sparred over whether or not city workers should even be repaid for last year’s furlough days. Some legislators seemed disinclined to steer the money towards D.C. workers, especially as Gray’s 2013 budget contemplates further cuts to social services. To move the supplemental budget forward, a compromise was hatched—workers would be repaid for two days, while affordable housing programs and health services for immigrants would also receive funds.

But the compromise—backed by Gray—seemed to satisfy no one. After a contentious debate in which some legislators demanded that all four furlough days be repaid, others pushed the compromise and yet others just proposed waiting until June to even consider the issue, the supplemental budget failed on a 7-5 vote.

While some might see the vote as evidence that the council refuses to be strung along by Gray’s budget requests, there was little actual proof that any organized resistance existed. Rather, many councilmembers seemed to want their way or no way at all. Additionally, the budget bill produced some strange votes—fiscal hawk Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who often complains of the size of the government, sided with paying back the four furlough days, while Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) went against them.

Gray’s aides were not happy with the vote, which included $25 million for D.C. schools. “We are disappointed this council failed to approve this, immensely. The vote puts thousands of…students at risk,” Gray spokesman Pedro Ribeiro said to the Post.