Mayor Muriel Bowser backs away from court battle over local tax dollars

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is backing away from an unusual court battle with the D.C. Council over an issue they both see eye to eye on. The council filed a lawsuit against Bowser’s predecessor, Vincent Gray, last year after he made the decision not to move forward with a city law that permits the District to spend local tax dollars without prior authorization from Congress. While the former mayor agreed that the city should be allowed to spend its own money, Gray contended that only Congress has the jurisdiction to grant the District that power. But in a court filing on Monday, Bowser says she disagrees with Gray, and plans to move forward with the city law unless a court orders her not to. The case is currently being reviewed by a federal appeals court.