A year after election, a leader in spite of himself by James Bush
Paul Schell was last year's biggest (and most belated) political comeback story. Winning election as Seattle mayor exactly 20 years after he had run unsuccessfully for the same job, the businessman and port commissioner was sold to voters as an idea-a-minute visionary, a big-picture guy who could move mountains of bureaucracy with the might of his mind.
Almost a year into his first term, Schell is becoming known less for his vision and management skill than for his contradictions. Despite campaign platitudes about his managerial prowess, his hope of serving as the ignition for firing up Seattle's housing market, and his eagerness to work with the City Council, the one-year picture finds a hands-off and largely inactive chief executive
who leaves management to subordinates, has played a largely peripheral role in the housing legislation approved, and who was a missing person during negotiations with the council on his first budget. And despite his carefully cultivated image as a visionary, he's seen more misses than hits on his big-ideas scorecard.
But on closer examination, this apparently low-impact executive seems poised to exploit the times we face: a good economy, new interest in regional cooperation, a Democratic-controlled Olympia leadership. Although not quite the mayor he was advertised to be, Paul Schell could end up being the mayor Seattle needs.
Year One under Schell has highlighted several traits that now figure to characterize Years Two, Three, and Four. Here's a few:
*He wasn't kidding about the ideas: Schell has kept the promise that he wouldn't keep his ideas to himself. In his first year, he suggested a mixed-use solution for the new downtown library building, a pair of major changes in the regional transit plan, and the sale of the city-owned Key Tower office building.
*His interest isn't in government itself, but in what government can do. Even with many expecting a status quo Schell administration, the mayor's complete lack of interest in tinkering with city government is surprising. Other than hiring his own aides and office staff, he has made few significant personnel moves in his first year. The current City Hall gang is essentially the Norm Rice administration under new management.
*He's not (yet) legislation-oriented. Maybe it was the flurry of initiatives Rice ran through the council in his final year, but the few pieces of major legislation passing council this year have mainly been housing-related, and some of those were first proposed before Schell took office.
*He is politically connected, but hardly politically savvy. It must be those years at the Port of Seattle; ex-commissioner Schell visibly chafed under the new level of media attention and public expectations directed at Mayor Schell. He also produced a few first-year political bobbles, most notably the bizarre effort to modify the city's Ethics and Elections Commission, which started poorly and went downhill from there.
*Schell loves to talk about ideas, but isn't adept at selling them to a skeptical audience. Supporters say the Paul Schell that Seattle voters have gotten is the same one they've known for years: well-intentioned, innovative, and excited by new ideas, but impatient with criticism or differences of opinion. His history with the City Council is a good illustration. The year started off with Schell himself representing the executive department at several meetings, each time with council president Sue Donaldson cheerfully noting his presence at the table. The novelty of having the mayor in the room cooled somewhat in April when Schell publicly chewed out the council for rejecting his proposal to sell Key Tower and build a new City Hall. (Council members later changed their minds on the sale, but the mayor has been unimpressed with the offers received thus far.) By the time budget negotiations rolled around, Schell sightings around council chambers were rare.
Other Schell watchers, both inside and outside City Hall, seemed more inclined to give the mayor a solid B on his first-term report card, although there were a few C's issued. "I avoid giving the mayor grades—that's my official position," jokes council member Nick Licata.
Walt Crowley, a Schell supporter and longtime political observer, says the mayor learned from his early missteps. "I think he's hit his stride," argues Crowley. "He seems to have established a good relationship with the council. He's focused his civic exuberance and is being more productive." Crowley also states—correctly—that the recent budget process didn't reveal any great policy conflicts between Schell and the council. But that's not the whole story.
TWO MONTHS AND 10 days passed between the afternoon Schell entered council chambers to deliver his optimistic budget address and the final council vote on Seattle's spending plan for the years 1999 and 2000. Schell was a no-show for most of that intervening storm, even during a prolonged battle over the executive's rosy revenue projections and more cautious council estimates. Asked publicly when the mayor would identify possible cuts, budget director Anne Fiske-Zuniga replied curtly that Schell was standing by his estimates. Council members burst into laughter and adjourned the October 29 hearing. As they left the dais, one council member was heard to remark: "That was amusing."
