Hours after election, Beutler dives in

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By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

After getting about four hours of sleep Tuesday night, Lincoln’s mayor-elect Chris Beutler was up early Wednesday doing a radio interview by 7 a.m.

Several interviews followed and by 10:45 a.m., that perfectly coiffed campaign hair was tousled, and he was mildly irritated when his campaign manager handed him a jam-packed daily schedule.

There was little time to think about the fact that about 12 hours prior, he’d been elected mayor.

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Chris Beutler thanks his family and supporters at his election party Tuesday night. (William Lauer)

Chris Beutler thanks his family and supporters at his election party Tuesday night. (William Lauer)

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“It’s kind of like out of the frying pan, into the fire,” Beutler said.

The realization did hit though.

“It’s such an odd thought to walk outside and look around and think, ‘Oh, my God. I’m responsible for all this,’ ” Beutler said Wednesday morning.

It’s overwhelming and humbling all at once, he said.

His campaign office was still buzzing with staffers Wednesday, but the sign on the wall no longer counted the number of days until the election. Instead, it said, “12 days” until Beutler is sworn in as mayor.

During the dozen days before he takes office, Beutler said he would seek the advice of past mayors, CEOs and Mayor Coleen Seng. Even though he was tough on Seng during the campaign, he said, “She’s been wonderful. She’s able to separate ideas and understand what we needed to do.”

Beutler’s immediate next steps will be to:

* Form a transition team. On Wednesday he named W. Don Nelson chairman of the transition team. Nelson recently retired from his job as U.S. Senator Ben Nelson’s state director and has served as advisor to several Nebraska governors and senators. 

* Get a list of the job appointments the mayor makes.

*  Talk to Seng’s cabinet directors so he can start making personnel decisions. 

* Get updated on the status of key city projects, such as building a new arena and 2015 Vision projects, so the city can get moving on them quickly.

During the campaign, Beutler said he didn’t spend much time analyzing which cabinet directors would stay or go, since it would have been “presumptuous and potentially a great waste of time.”

Now he intends to begin meeting with the directors to help him decide whether and what changes may need to be made in their ranks.

He said he’ll be keenly interested in whether they’ve been “agents of change” or not.

Asked if any will be dismissed immediately after he takes office, Beutler said, “Everything is within the realm of possibility.”

While some changes to the cabinet could be made immediately, other directors’ futures will be evaluated over the course of his first year, he said. Sort of like being a probationary employee.

Once Beutler takes office, his priorities will be tackling the street financing gap and city budget, analyzing the three departments that deal with businesses and getting 2015 Vision projects, such as the arena, moving.

In his victory speech, Beutler said he was “declaring an end to negativity.” How will he do that? By not letting the issues of the day become personal and partisan, he said.

There’s a difference between having an honest disagreement and being an obstructionist for partisan reasons.

While the Legislature isn’t as partisan as City Hall, Beutler said he thinks negativity goes in cycles and, “Hopefully we can drive it to the positive side.”

He also had a message for city employees: He said he’ll support them and give them the resources and leadership they need to get their jobs done, but he’ll also hold them accountable.

“Together we will get the job done and restore faith in our city government,” he said.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.