Naked City

Let's see if we've got this straight: Willie Lewis' campaign accuses opponent Danny Thomas of violating the city's Fair Campaign Ordinance, and the Thomas campaign replies with a barrage of attacks on Lewis' character. Sounds like the makings of a made-for-public access TV rerun. Yes, the battle between incumbent Lewis and police officer Thomas is beginning to sound an awful lot like the one in '97 between Lewis and then-incumbent Eric Mitchell, now a Thomas supporter. Remember the mudslinging three years ago? It's baack. This time, Thomas campaign manager Linda Dailey is dredging up a 1998 sexual harassment complaint filed against Lewis by a city employee. The case was reportedly mutually resolved the same year, Lewis apologized for his actions, and time marched on. But Dailey accused the city Wednesday of withholding information concerning Lewis' "criminal behavior." Dailey was referring to an open records request she filed seeking copies of the harassment complaint, which was forwarded to the Texas AG's office. Lewis' campaign manager, David Terrell, said he was able to obtain the same file under open records because he didn't request the name of the complainant, as Dailey did. Meanwhile, the attacks from the Lewis camp are expected to move up a notch on April 27, when campaign finance lawyers Fred Lewis and Cristen Feldman file a formal complaint with the city citing Thomas' failure to report independent expenditures and in-kind contributions made by the Austin Police Association PAC and Thomas Henderson, who is renting one of his properties to the Thomas campaign for $125 a month -- a rate that's below market value and in violation of the city ordinance, Lewis' supporters say. Dailey countered in a press release Wednesday that it's the same rate Henderson charged Ron Davis when he ran for county commissioner. "Yes," says Terrell, "but Ron Davis wasn't bound by the city ordinance when he ran for commissioner" ... Can Jeff Jack work and play well with others? That was the question issuing from behind closed doors at City Hall last week as word began seeping out that Jack, a longtime neighborhood activist and prickly sort of fellow, would be the new aide to Council Member Beverly Griffith. Jack, an architect by profession and former president of the Austin Neighborhoods Council, replaces John Gilvar, who moved to a new position in Health and Human Services. Rabble-rouser or no, Jack felt as vulnerable as any other new employee on Monday as he underwent the city's orientation schtick -- filling out health insurance forms, meeting new people, getting a behind-the-scenes tour, stuff like that. Jack spent Tuesday trying to master the telephone system in his boss' office. By the next morning, he had it down pat. "Council Member Griffith's office," he answered in his cheeriest telephone voice. Jack didn't seem at all surprised by the news that some of the City Hall cliques weren't terribly enthused about his new appointment. But he allowed that he is perfectly capable of switching from the role of fully committed advocate to loyal lieutenant. "My role is to support Beverly," he said. "As an architect, you have to be able to balance a lot of skills. I'm not sure I'll be as focused on neighborhoods." ... There's still another council aide post to fill, this one in Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman's office, where Richard Arellano is leaving to join the GetHeard.org outfit that some heavies in the local tech scene are pulling together. Arellano will hold the title of executive director in his new gig, and joins former mayor aide Larry Warshaw, one of the key GetHeard players. Arellano leaves in mid-May. Next?