in the wee hours of May 25

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financial strategy. . . . I had hoped that we would . . . have gotten the convention center fully passed this year, but we're going to be about 30 or 45 days shy of that," Goode said. "So, whereas we did not hit 100 percent on everything we wanted to do this year, I think that on all the things we set out to do, we did, in fact, hit the target, although not the bull's eye, on all of them." Perhaps last year's mayor-Council skirmishes drew so much attention because they often involved issues of utmost concern to nearly every city resident - taxes and services. Throughout his 1987 campaign, Goode assured voters that the city's checkbook was balanced and that there would be no need for a tax increase. Then, three months into his second term, Goode called for a $67 million increase. Over the next two months that figure continued to rise, to $126 million, and so did tempers as Council members accused him of having misled the public. For more than two weeks they resisted Goode's request. Then, in the wee hours of May 25, they passed a $1.95 billion budget with $82.5 million in new taxes and a projected $128 million deficit. Council, ignoring the administration's recommendation, also left out $53 million to fund the local court system, and the city enters 1989 facing a state Supreme Court order to pay those costs. Goode and Council ended the year again embroiled in rowdy debate, as the mayor sought to reshuffle $106 million in spending among city agencies. Council members, railing against Goode's plans to cut funds from police, health and other service agencies, also took advantage of last month's Appropriations Committee hearings to verbally thrash City Solicitor Seymour Kurland for ruling that Council members could not hire their relatives, to berate Planning Commission Director Barbara Kaplan for encouraging the mayor to veto a bill permitting otherwise illegal sidewalk cafes, and to scold newly appointed Licenses & Inspections Commissioner Don Kligerman for reporting to his first day on the job rather than attending the committee hearings. Goode brushed aside such behavior as mere theatrics: "The rhetoric is far different than what the results are, and I prefer to deal with the results. I can't go out and stop a few Council people from asking hard questions and acting any way they want to act, but beyond all of that, when it came time to vote, they voted the right way." And so it came to pass that after a week of heated hearings, the committee approved $60.9 million in budgetary changes, enough to keep the courts running through March and to replenish funds for other departments. Later this month, the hearings crank up again, with Council members zeroing in on the mayor's plans to cut city departments that directly affect taxpayers, such as police, health and recreation. Again, Goode expects that when the dust clears, he'll have what he