1.  For one thing, the council leadership is probably closer ideologically to the Republican mayor than to his Democratic rivals.

2.  If the past is any guide, the Council leadership will extract a few changes from the mayor before approving the budget in June.

3.  In the City Council, Ms. Fields has developed the image of a cautious legislator who occasionally, if gingerly, breaks with the Council leadership.

4.  The mayor and the council leadership are frequently at odds over budgetary matters, and the joint presentation underscored the importance to the city of preserving its bond rating.

5.  Whether that blunt approach to council leadership will survive remains to be seen, said Sandler of New York Law School.