Olga Diaz has accomplished more during her first year on the Escondido City Council than most people expected, and she has been credited with shifting the city's focus away from controversial illegal immigration policies.

Most local leaders and city officials have also praised Diaz for her ambitious, academic and thorough approach to government.

But Diaz and her aggressive style have also irritated some people, including Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler, City Manager Clay Phillips and police Chief Jim Maher. Leaders of the Chamber of Commerce have also remained skeptical about Diaz as a true friend to the business community.

And as the first liberal Democrat and Latina on the extremely conservative council in many years, Diaz said last week that she is still treated mostly as an outsider by the city's political establishment.

But Diaz recently persuaded chamber officials to support her river walk proposal, and she has dramatically improved her relationships with some longtime adversaries such as Councilman Sam Abed and the city's police officers union.

Her performance has also been praised by all the groups that supported her last fall, including local Latino organizations, the city's mobile-home park coalition, slow-growth advocates and the city's firefighters union.

And many of those leaders said they believe that Diaz, 33, is just beginning to fulfill her potential as a leader and champion for the city's minorities and lower-income residents, who have previously not had a strong representative on the council.

"We've only just begun to see what this young woman is capable of," said Bill Flores, a spokesman for El Grupo, an umbrella group of local civil rights organizations. "She has already brought a new energy and a new perspective that has caused the council and the city manager to discuss issues that would not otherwise be on the radar screen."

But former Councilman Ed Gallo, whom Diaz narrowly defeated last fall, said last week that he has been unimpressed with Diaz. He downplayed the significance of many of her accomplishments, saying Diaz knows very little about how government works and called the river walk idea unrealistic.

In interviews last week, a wide range of city and community leaders evaluated Diaz's successes and failures since her election, which took place one year ago this week.

Chamber officials declined to comment, and Phillips and Maher have consistently refused to discuss their relationships with Diaz.

But everyone interviewed other than Gallo praised the new councilwoman for her intelligence, her willingness to tackle a wide variety of issues and the new perspective she has brought to the council as the panel's first fluent Spanish speaker.

"I believe Olga was a good addition," said Abed, who has worked closely with her on budget issues, pension reform and the pursuit of a new city library. "She's provided the council with a more balanced representation of the community."

Shifting debate, pursuing goals

Before Diaz took even the smallest step toward the goals she set for herself on the council, her arrival late last year had already made a significant difference, local leaders said.

Her defeat of Gallo left Abed and Councilwoman Marie Waldron without a crucial third vote for controversial legislation such as their failed attempt in 2006 to prohibit landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, a subsequent proposal to crack down on day laborers, many of whom are Latino, and overnight parking restrictions proposed for predominantly Latino neighborhoods.

"The conversation immediately shifted away from things that were defeating for our city, such as the parking ordinance and the rental ban," said Lisa Prazeau, president of a slow-growth group called the Escondido Chamber of Citizens.

Meanwhile, Diaz began work on several goals.

She successfully pursued new legislation that allows one extra parking spot at most single-family homes in Escondido and a rule change that allows families on large lots to own more dogs or cats. She also lobbied for an extension of labor negotiations last spring that ended up staving off some employee layoffs.

In addition, Diaz played a key role in persuading In-N-Out Burger to build the popular chain's first Escondido location, nearly two decades after a sign dispute prompted the company to give up on the city. The restaurant is expected to open next spring at Valley Parkway and Interstate 15.

She also revived a longtime plan to transform the city's 7-mile flood control channel into a lush river walk. Thanks mostly to Diaz, a team of graduate students will spend this winter analyzing the hurdles facing such a proposal, as well as the benefits.

"It's the most activity generated by a single council person since I've been around," said Diaz, who moved from Salinas to Escondido in 2002 and immediately became politically active.

But Diaz has also had some failures.

They include her efforts to prevent a reduction in hours last spring at the city's libraries, her campaign with Abed to transform part of the city's performing arts center into a modern library, and her proposal to increase city revenue by establishing an impound lot for towed cars.

"I've cried a few times over a few things, but it's mostly been exhilarating," said Diaz, who also owns two local coffeehouses and is raising a family. "It's like I'm in a graduate program on how to run a city."

Conflicting styles

Because Mayor Pfeiler was the least conservative council member before Diaz's election, the two were expected to be strong allies.

But things went sour shortly after Diaz arrived at City Hall. And their failed relationship hit a low point in June when Pfeiler called Diaz "despicable" for allegedly meeting with the city's police officers union while labor negotiations were ongoing. In response, Diaz said Pfeiler considers herself "the queen" of the city, and that the mayor is unwilling to compromise with other council members.

"The initial reaction from the mayor was, 'You're naive, you're too young' or 'You don't know how it is and this is how it's always been,'" said Diaz. "I think she expected me to vote with her no matter what."

Pfeiler said last week that she has been impressed with the energy and strong desire to get things done that Diaz has shown. She said the conflict is mostly based on differing styles, and Diaz agreed.

Pfeiler said she prefers to look at the big picture and focus on broad policies, choosing to delegate decisions about details to city staff with training in particular areas.

Diaz, who previously worked as an accountant, said she prefers to study every nuance of an issue and to seek help from staff only when necessary.

"The mayor defers to staff too often," she said. "She may think that I slow things down, but I want to make sure staff is complying with the will of the people."

The conflict between Diaz and the city manager has involved similar dynamics, Diaz said.

She contends that Phillips treated her as if she knew nothing and was condescending and rude, prompting Diaz to seek support from two other council members to fire him in June. Her attempt failed, and Phillips has been much more deferential and respectful since then, she said

The conflict with Maher stems mostly from his staunch support for controversial driver's license checkpoints and her vehement opposition to them, she said.

"We have had pie together and coffee together and we have tried," said Diaz. "But there really isn't anything to say, and we essentially have no relationship."

In contrast, Councilwoman Waldron and Councilman Dick Daniels both praised Diaz last week.

"She has brought a really good mix to the council with her business background, her connections with young people and her interest in a whole array of issues," Waldron said.

Daniels said the best thing about Diaz is her intelligence.

"I love being around very bright people like Olga," he said. "She's very intellectually fit, and now she's learning the art of compromise."

Russ Lane, president of the Escondido City Employees Association, said Diaz deserves an A-minus for her first year.

"She's brought a lot of constructive discussion into things," he said.

And Mike Diaz, president of the city's firefighters union, also praised Councilwoman Diaz, to whom he is not related.

"She studies the issues and asks well-thought-out questions," he said. "But she's also willing to take risks."

Call staff writer David Garrick at 760-740-5468.