Lawmakers said Anderson's vocal dislike of opinions different from his own nearly cost Salt Lake City $4 million for a Salt Palace expansion project. Legislators during the 2005 session also eliminated the possibility of using redevelopment agency projects for the Real Salt Lake professional soccer stadium that Anderson is courting.

New poll results

Anderson's political tactics may also be costing him voter approval, according to a new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll.

Of 230 respondents, 50 percent said they probably or definitely disagree with Anderson's political style. Forty-three percent said they agreed with his style in the survey conducted Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The poll by Dan Jones & Associates has a 7 percent margin of error.

"I'm a firm believer that organizations assume the personality of their leader," said Frank Pignanelli, a lobbyist, former Anderson political opponent, and political columnist for the Deseret Morning News. "Salt Lake City being isolated from the rest of the state is just like Rocky being isolated from the rest of humanity."

The hostile environment Seed depicted after her termination is not a solitary description, said Dave Owen, former communications director for Anderson, who left his post after only two months because of "serial abuse."

"Somebody's always the problem. Deeda had become the problem, and now that Deeda is gone, everything will be fine and in 30 days, somebody else will be the problem," he said. "Rocky cannot tolerate any deviance from his line. He simply has zero tolerance for any contrary opinion."

Pignanelli said he ran against Anderson in 2003 simply because he believed Anderson was running his office by yelling, berating and humiliating. Pignanelli said he received many phone calls from city hall staff describing the work environment.

"What got me up every morning to campaign against this guy was the atrocious way he treated employees," he said.

The greatest consequence, Pignanelli added, is that Anderson's personal conflicts with staffers are driving qualified employees from his office.

High turnover

Since Anderson took office in 2000, 41 employees from the mayor's office have either quit or been fired — a 240 percent turnover rate within the 17 positions at the mayor's office.

"Those people, most of them if not all of them, were capable, qualified, personable people," Councilman Van Turner said. "I don't know why they leave."