After year in office, Rocky still marches to own beat

When Rocky Anderson's fourth communications director went house-hunting in Salt Lake City, he got an earful about his new boss.

"It was strange, when I told people I work for the mayor," said Josh Ewing, the 24-year-old from Scotts Bluff, Neb. "Some of those people out there have a negative perception about him."

Since taking office last January, Anderson has been the subject of some 441 Deseret News articles; one critic calls his administration the "Rocky Horror Show." Yet his supporters praise the mayor's zeal, calling him gutsy as he seeks to rout what Ewing called "politics as usual." And while some staffers say morale has dipped to new lows at City Hall, Ewing insists the atmosphere around his desk is quite positive.

"People in here work hard, and they love the fact that they're having an impact," he said.

"This mayor certainly works out of the box," said City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton, also in her first year in city government. "My constituents find it refreshing that he's willing to throw his weight around. They like that there's a little bit of shaking up."

The shaking started early in the Anderson administration: Phil Riesen, a former TV anchorman, was fired after a month as communications director; his successor, Dave Owen, resigned after six weeks, and No. 3, Ted Nguyen, quit after three months.

Ewing says he heard all about those predecessors when chief of staff Deeda Seed interviewed him. Still, after talking with her and other officials, "I felt supported, like I could do a good job." Recently married and living in Denver where his wife is a schoolteacher, Ewing decided they would make the move this month.

Saxton, for her part, compared holding public office alongside Anderson to a marriage.

"You're really excited about it, you feel like you got it all figured out, and then when you're into the thrall, it's completely different," she said. "But I knew him before he was mayor. So I'm not surprised about how explosive it's been, how contentious it's been. . . . The mayor has very strong opinions, and there's no doubt in his mind that he's in charge."

A revolving door?

The Rocky path seems to have no room for anyone not in step with the leader. In November, city Olympic planner Dianne Hesleph was fired, with the only explanation being Deputy Mayor Rocky Fluhart's "We just decided we needed to make a change." Rip Rippetoe replaced Hesleph but quit after one day in December. The third Olympic planner, John Sittner, has been on the job about two weeks.