“ The Comeback Candidate” struck again. In 2020, former Councilwoman Lisa Borowsky was soundly defeated in the mayor’s race by David Ortega. Four years later, Borowsky again ran against Ortega – this time trouncing him to take over City Hall. For a while, it seemed like “be careful what you wish for.” Over the first four months of her term, Borowsky suffered one humiliating defeat after another at the hands of “the block of four” – as veteran Councilwoman Solange Whitehead furiously dubbed the conservative majority. The string of losses began in January, when Borowsky’s “give me more time to find a better parking garage location” plea was soundly rejected by what Whitehead called at a recent retreat “an unprecedented block.” A few days before the retreat, those four – Barry Graham, Jan Dubauskas, Adam Kwasman and Kathy Littlefield – flexed their muscle against Borowsky, ripping two staff members away from her control. Many might have been flustered and enraged by the constant “blocks.” Though she has on several occasions flashed emotional responses, at the May 20 City Council meeting, Borowsky was cool as a walk-in freezer. Backed by some 5,000 petition signatures, Borowsky made a motion to again delay work on the planned “Corral” parking lot expansion at First Street and Brown Avenue in Old Town. Borowsky’s plea to “take additional time to find an alternate location” by making it a future agenda item motion was again rejected. Council did vote to have City Manager Greg Caton look into the parking lot and, as Whitehead put it, “find the best path forward” – but Borowsky failed even to get a second on her plan, which she stressed echoed the petition. After taking yet another lump, Borowsky not only kept calm, she responded to a recent “check” with a powerhouse “checkmate.” After another presentation on the proposed 2025-26 city budget, Borowsky made a slick maneuver. She made a motion to adopt the budget – but with an amendment to take her two staff members back, while giving Council two new support staff positions; support for Council was used as justification for Kwasman’s motion two weeks ago. He made an alternate motion to bypass Borowsky’s ask and “adopt (the budget) as presented.” Dubauskas quickly seconded Graham, setting up another block of four win and Borowsky loss... But this time, it was “the Borowsky block.” Borowsky called for a vote on Graham’s motion – which was shot down, with Littlefield bailing on the unofficial conservative caucus to join Borowsky, Whitehead and Maryann McAllen in opposing Graham and Dubauskas. With six votes in and a Graham motion loss certain, City Clerk Ben Lane asked for the vote by Kwasman, who was participating remotely. “I’m going to be voting with the majority in a ‘no’ vote,” Kwasman said. Borowsky then called for a vote on her “give ‘em back” motion. Knowing they were whipped, Graham and Dubauskas went with the flow, giving the mayor a unanimous win. While a drop in the $2.2 billion budget, regaining her circle may be a tide-shifting moment for the previously luckless mayor.
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