Realpolitiks Bellevue

So much for the mayor playing a mere ceremonial role in Bellevue’s manager-council form of government. The charge for veteran councilmember Don Davidson is to play peacemaker during his third term – non-consecutive – as gavel wielder.

One of the first things Bellevue’s new city council did in December was vote against a property tax increase for 2010. That’s a reversal from the past two years, when the council voted for increases.

That same night, rookie councilmember Kevin Wallace made an ill-fated attempt to change the city’s recommended alternatives for light-rail routing.

That issue isn’t going away, it’s just on hold. Wallace has support from three other councilmembers: Davidson, Conrad Lee, and Jennifer Robertson.

Most recently, the city council elected the conservative-minded Davidson as its mayor.

These events suggest a new council majority for the city of Belleve.

Councilmembers don’t like to admit this sort of thing exists because it sounds too ugly for municipal politics, but it’s true nonetheless. There are four members who see eye-to-eye on the major issues, and all were either elected or re-elected in November.

The question now is whether this new council majority will force its will or play nice with the minority, consisting of former Mayor Grant Degginger, former Deputy Mayor Claudia Balducci, and John Chelminiak.

No sooner had the council elected Davidson as its mayor than King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed Balducci to the Sound Transit board.

This gave the council minority a new weapon. Balducci is now one of the final decision makers on light-rail routing, making her the last person anyone wants to snub.

Wallace has proposed a new route that would travel through South Bellevue along the BNSF right of way west of I-405, and then on 114th Ave. NE to avoid impacts to the downtown core.

The new majority is open to this idea, while members of the minority have indicated their preference for a downtown tunnel on 110th Ave. NE.

If the city can identify funding for a tunnel, the issue of downtown routing might go away.

South Bellevue is another story, as the minority prefers placing the tracks along Bellevue Way SE, rather than the BNSF right of way. There’s no clear compromise there.

Davidson said he’d like to massage the light-rail issue, saying it’s still “a bit tender.” Of all the routes being considered, that’s probably the wisest for now.

That still leaves the budget to consider. The city is looking at deficits of perhaps $17 million in the operating budget and even worse for the capital budget – no one is offering exact figures just yet.

It’s hard to fill those gaps without raising property taxes.

Davidson and Lee, who became the city’s first ethnic minority deputy mayor last week, are both budget hawks who say they would like to pull back on capital projects until the economy recovers. Robertson and Wallace, who voted for the halt on property-tax increases, are likely to agree.

The council minority, meanwhile, talks about investing while the bidding market is good – actually it’s great. They’re hoping to spur new development and continue the Bellevue boom.

Whether that’s possible in this type of market is something the councilmembers will surely debate during their annual retreat this month.

The issues discussed in that meeting – and throughout the year, for that matter – will test Davidson’s ability to shape policy while maintaining friendly relations along the dais.