Sides spar over new projects, current workloads and oversight of public works.

Mayor Darlene Kordonowy threatened to overturn the 2007 city budget Monday, highlighting a deep divide between the administration and the council over spending.

“If I have to, I will veto the budget,” Kordonowy said at the end of a contentious meeting in which the council proposed numerous changes to the administration’s draft budget. “It’s something I don’t do, but I will do. I’m not very pleased to be put in this position.”

The mayor’s concerns were echoed by members of the city administration who balked at proposals by the council to add millions of dollars in new initiatives, a new citizen committee overseeing public works projects, and an effort to sideline staff hires. The administration also sounded the alarm on the workload of current staff and the need for new hires.

“When you look at the cumulative impact, I think we are really on different paths,” said City Administrator Mary Jo Briggs. “(The council) is changing the basic structure of how we do business.”

Councilwoman Debbie Vancil defended the council’s proposals, warning that “the fisticuffs battle” over the budget may lead to a rebuke of the mayor.

“I caution us all not to pull our swords out,” she said. “The council may veto the mayor.”

By narrow margins, the council voted to add $1.262 million for new open space purchases and $1.125 million for trails and other non-motorized transportation projects. (See related stories, Page 2)

The council also decided to expand the role of the Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Committee and to add a new 12-member “roads advisory committee.”

The council pledged cuts later in the budget process to make room for Monday’s changes.

Preliminary budget items potentially bound for the chopping block include 12 proposed new staff positions.

The council placed $800,000 in new hires, as outlined by the mayor, in “reserve” until a study on staffing is completed.

The city is trying to fill 12 existing vacancies after an unprecedented loss of 31 employees during the first 10 months of this year.

Councilman Bob Scales, who proposed holding off on consideration of new hires, said additional staff may not halt the hemorrhaging of employees.

“Once we create new positions, it’s very difficult to remove them,” he said.

Before adding staff, Scales suggested the city take a hard look at why employees are leaving. The loss of employees, especially public works engineers, has delayed numerous road and non-motorized transportation projects.

Vancil agreed, characterizing the dearth of staff “as the most important issue in the budget.”

“I see the city in crisis mode,” she said. “We’re not headed for a train wreck. We’re in it.”

But putting the freeze on new hires “amounts to a delay technique” and ignores a fundamental problem in retaining staff, Briggs said.

“I feel like I’m not being heard,” the city administrator told the council. “Foremost, it’s the workload. These people are tired. Over and over in exit interviews we are hearing that staff are not happy. They’re overworked.”

Waiting to hire new employees until after the city study could hamper staff recruitment and delay implementation of the 2007 budget, Kordonowy said. She also said the council was putting “a lot of obstacles” in Briggs’ path as she tries to right the staff.

“We need to get out of her way,” Kordonowy said.

The council “lack of appreciation” for staff has contributed to a high employee turnover, according to Briggs.

As a recent example, she highlighted Finance Director Elray Konkel’s troubles with the council and his near resignation last summer. Citizen expectations also make working for the city tough for some employees, Briggs added.

Vancil defended citizen involvement in city issues.

“This community has been patient, they’ve been tolerant and have come forward to participate in projects for years,” she said. “They expect to see results. But nothing has happened. I’m not going to blame the community.”

Rather, the council called for greater citizen participation in city government by approving an expansion of the non-motorized committee’s role and a new roads committee.

“We want to empower groups of citizens that care deeply for this place,” Councilman Nezam Tooloee said.

City road plans need greater citizen oversight, especially in light of controversial projects proposed for Grow Avenue and Kallgren Road, Tooloee said.

“We hear this over and over, with citizens coming and saying ‘this is not what we want,’” he said.

But a new roads committee could create unrealistic expectations and added citizen frustration, Councilman Chris Snow said.

“I share the mayor’s concern that a group will tell the city what to do and they’ll expect us to do it,” he said. “But the reality often is that (the city) can’t for various reasons – lack of staff, lack of money or that it’s physically impossible in engineering terms.”

Councilman Bill Knobloch, who often joined Snow in opposing council proposals unpopular with the administration, said the committee could open floodgates of residents demanding that their neighborhood top the list for road fixes.

“Every single neighborhood on the island thinks they need street repairs first,” Knobloch said. “Figuratively speaking, you’re asking for a street brawl.

“I can understand the mayor’s reaction and the use of the word ‘veto.’”