Harris appears to have backed away from that veto threat, but it is clear that he and his administration are still far from satisfied. Among their complaints: that revenue projections are way too optimistic in several areas, that cuts to some departments will result in the layoff of "warm bodies" and that the balancing act relies on several one-time unsustainable gimmicks, such as short-term debt refinancing.

This last is particularly bothersome to the administration, since the council whacked them last year for using much the same techniques.

Budget Committee Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi insists her committee's revenue projections are accurate and said she is willing to go to court if necessary to validate the assumptions. That in itself is an indication of the disarray that has surrounded this process.

The fact that the Budget Committee has produced a final product is an improvement over earlier fears that it would simply default to the mayor's original plan. But the drama is not yet over.

There will be more scrambling between now and the final vote set for Wednesday. If the council and the administration can work out some of the remaining differences between them, a floor draft revision is possible before the final vote.