It's been a rough couple of weeks for Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.
But despite the recent slate of imbroglios, political observers don't think all the fuss is likely to have much lasting effect on the mayor's legacy, his chances for re-election or his support from his highly loyal core constituency.
For certain "it's been a tough couple of months" for the mayor, notes Kirk Jowers, director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. "It seems like every week there's been some new allegation or controversy."
Most recently, some critics blamed him in part for losing a potential Real Salt Lake stadium to suburban Sandy. Also, earlier this past week, Salt Lake County Democratic Chairwoman Megan Risbon — echoing her Republican counterpart — called for a felony-level investigation into some of Anderson's recently-revealed spending decisions.
Prior to the past few weeks' woes, the City Council launched a formal audit into Anderson's funding of a memorial fountain on Library Square. Previously, the mayor came under fire for running up a bar and meal tab — $457 — while entertaining dignitaries at the Grand America hotel lobby lounge and paying it with taxpayer dollars. The controversy intensified a few days later after it was revealed Anderson hand-picked his girlfriend and other friends to attend a city-sponsored voyage to Torino, Italy.
Late Friday, Anderson said in a statement he is paying back the $457.88 tab from last July. He also said he has issued a policy that establishes an Expense Review Committee that will examine all expenses and reimbursements incurred by city employees. And he is calling on the City Council and the Utah Legislature to create gift bans similar to the one he adopted soon after taking office in 2000, according to a statement he issued.
Anderson has quit talking with reporters of the Deseret Morning News, which he blames for some of his recent woes.
Political observers are a bit unsure as to what it all might mean, and they note that the mayor has survived controversy in the past — even thrived in the tempests.
On the one hand, all the current controversy could leave Anderson with some diminished status.
On the other, Anderson's politics continue to give him hero status among his liberal base, and all the controversy may eventually blow over without much lasting effect.
"Mayor Anderson has the most dedicated core of followers of any public official in the state," Jowers said. It's a unique core because it probably is enough to keep him in office, Jowers noted, adding that "I haven't seen anything thus far that has diminished their full support of Mayor Anderson."
Indeed, those counted among the mayor's constituency are remaining loyal. Jackie Biskupski, an Anderson supporter and the only lesbian in the Utah House of Representatives, still considers Anderson highly ethical.
"I find it hard to believe that he's somebody who would do something that wasn't ethical, at least intentionally," she said. Before rushing to judgment she wants to see the outcome of various audits and investigations.
"I'm one of those people who wants to wait and see what happens," she said. "I don't really feel that Rocky's in a place of piling up sins."
That said, the "drip, drip" of new allegations and controversy can take a toll and much may depend on whether District Attorney David Yocom decides to investigate Anderson or prosecute him, Jowers said.
At least one conservative political analyst says Anderson's popularity has declined some in recent weeks.
"I do think that the aggregate combination of all these things on top of each other does eventually erode support," said LaVarr Webb, who runs utahpolicy.com and writes a weekly political column for the Morning News. He added that "I do think there has been some slippage among Democrats in the city."
But despite a possible erosion of support, Webb and Jowers say Anderson remains a favorite for re-election in 2007 if he decides to run. The mayor hasn't said whether he is going to run again, and he hasn't been making any moves indicating that he will seek a third term.
If Anderson did decide not to run, Webb said he doesn't think the mayor's legacy would be affected much by the recent string of controversies.
"Among those that don't like him, all these things further tarnished his image, but those people didn't like him anyway," Webb said. "But to those who like him, they're still going to look fondly at him."
Still, even those who are clued into the Salt Lake political scene have a hard time really judging what the cumulative effect might ultimately be.
"Salt Lake's just really hard to figure out," said County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, who lives in the city. "My gut doesn't really work in the city."
Wilson hypothesized the recent controversies might even rally Anderson's base, if supporters feel the mayor is being unfairly targeted.
Still, even Wilson, a Democrat whose family has a long friendship with Anderson, notes, "I don't want it to sound like I'm Rocky's greatest ally or defender in all of this."
And even though Anderson has survived controversy before, there may not have been a time when so much was piled on in such a short time.
Really, Jowers, notes, Anderson's woes have been going on for a few months, going back to his controversial firing of longtime friend and communications director Deeda Seed. When Seed was fired, Anderson's longtime personal assistant Christy Cordwell, also a close friend, quit.
Seed and Anderson traded verbal barbs in the media, with Anderson calling Seed a bad employee and Seed saying the mayor was an abusive boss who often criticizes LDS Church members behind their backs.
It's too bad all this controversy stopped Anderson's momentum, Jowers said, since Anderson had really been making some good moves in recent weeks and months.
"I had the feeling that prior to these last couple of months he'd been having a real strong streak," Jowers said.
The mayor had been getting some good national press for his efforts to bring attention to global warming and other environmental issues, Jowers said.
But now the momentum seems to be gone, as Anderson has been forced to defend himself against his detractors.
"He's clearly in the heat of things now, and everybody seems to be focused on him," Wilson said.
E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com