The Council Strikes Back

The relationship between the City Council and Mayor Dan Mylott smacked into another bump last night, when the council shut the door on future budget movement until Mylott explains how he is going to pay $500,000 in expected union contract raises.

(We continue to have horrible link issues. If you want to read the Telegram story, go to http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061129/NEWS/611290365/1003/NEWS03)

The council's decision was based on a Mylott request for $7,200 for the Council on Aging from the general fund. But councilors don't want to give up any money until they know what's up with contracts. The feeling is the contracts are done, and raises are intact, and it's going to effect the city's finances.

Suddenly, the City Council has become a ferocious fiscal watchdog, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The city's money situation has stunk on ice for some time, and for at least the last two years the council has shied away from making the city's finances a contact sport. Councilors have publically all but admitted in hindsight they wished they yelled louder and longer in the past.

It appears over the last few weeks that the council considers this a lesson learned, and is fighting what it thinks is the good fight from here on out. It might create some gridlock and slowdowns, but the city is better off for it.

There is also, most certainly, some politics at play. It's obvious at this point that there's blood in the water around Mylott, and mayoral wannabes are sniffing around, poking at the edges, trying to figure out just how vulnerable Mylott is.

And, let's not forget, the council probably doesn't feel too charitable to the mayor these days. Don't forget last spring's budget battles, where both sides said some pretty nasty things, Mylott especially. You'd have to think the council hasn't forgotten, and probably doesn't feel like it owes Mylott too many favors.

It all adds up to what should be a pretty interesting year, if Mylott runs again (no reason to think right now he won't, but who knows). The council seems like it won't back down, and Mylott has shown his reaction when pushed is usually fairly aggressive. The games start now.