Some things never change when it comes to City Hall ... Here's a blast from the past to prove the point in question. Two Mayors, one a Republican and one a Democrat, but both faced with the same problem ... City Council.
From the February 22, 1981 Vindicator
Part 1
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5686%2C1520814 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5686%2C1520814)
Part 2
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1263%2C1548069 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1263%2C1548069)
Part 3
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376%2C1548591 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376%2C1548591)
Part 4
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1307%2C1629846 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1307%2C1629846)
City's Same Old Same Old Part 2
Another blast from the past concerning City Hall ... this time June 1981
1a
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NeFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4706%2C3681794 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NeFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4706%2C3681794)
1b
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NeFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1153%2C3698945 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NeFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1153%2C3698945)
2a
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NuFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4579%2C4556175 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NuFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4579%2C4556175)
2b
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NuFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1154%2C4581004 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NuFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1154%2C4581004)
3a
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N-FIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4927%2C4805063 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N-FIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4927%2C4805063)
3b
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N-FIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4927%2C4805063 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N-FIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h4IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4927%2C4805063)
4
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5fBIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0YIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3712%2C38699 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5fBIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0YIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3712%2C38699)