Anderson fired spokeswoman Deeda Seed on Friday. While most employees who have been fired or quit City Hall leave quietly, Seed - a longtime Anderson ally - called the mayor abusive and accused him of berating and degrading her and other employees.

"She's my hero," said Councilman Carlton Christensen, who is ideologically on the opposite end from Seed. The two worked on the City Council together when Seed represented Central City from 1996 to 2000. "I admire her for having the courage to stand up."

But Anderson said his reputation as a tyrannical boss among council members and some residents is generated by the press and has become an "urban myth that is absolutely belied by those who work with me day in and day out and who do a great job. It's very amicable between the rest of us."

He said his voice "probably went up" with Seed in "total frustration when she would completely fail to perform."

"I don't yell at people or abuse them," he added. "I feel passionately. Yeah, I let people know where I stand."

Anderson's secretary, Christy Cordwell, who quit Friday, said she's seen the mayor "pound the desk, scream, come out of his chair like he's going to come right over the desk to" Seed.

Cordwell, whose office was adjacent to the mayor's, said Sunday she had "never seen him [the mayor] treat a man the way he's treated Deeda, ever."

In response, Anderson ticked off a list of former male employees he said he's been "very tough" on. "This isn't a gender thing at all. To try to turn it into that is outrageous."

The mayor alleges Seed "threatened" him Friday when he fired her that she would "go to the media and make this very miserable for me. Why does she want to keep her job if everything is so bad?"

Seed, who has said she wanted to quit, couldn't be reached late Monday regarding the alleged threat.

Seed worked for the mayor from 2000 to 2001, mainly as his chief of staff. She also worked on his 2003 re-election campaign. During those times, she defended the mayor's managerial style and turnover of top staff. She said she came back as his spokeswoman last year despite past problems with the mayor because she needed a job.

Seed also labeled Anderson a "religious bigot" who "makes fun of LDS beliefs."

The LDS Church declined to comment Monday, and Anderson said he hasn't talked with church officials to repair any potential damage, characterizing Seed's comments as "striking out, trying to undermine me as much as she can."

There is a religious split over the mayor: Mormons overwhelmingly voted against Anderson in 2003.

The mayor and Councilwoman Nancy Saxton are known enemies. Saxton said Monday she doesn't talk to Anderson without others around because "he will become explosive sometimes. He really berates you or basically tells you you don't know what the hell you're doing.

"With Deeda being as forthright, others will be speaking out. It's going to be a domino effect."

Anderson countered that Saxton is abusive to some members of the public during City Council meetings. And he said Saxton wanted Anderson to fire Seed during his first term.

Councilman Dave Buhler said Seed's allegations raise questions. "It does make you wonder if he's treating people closest to him poorly, how is he treating other employees and what effect that might have on their productivity and morale."

Said Anderson: "Ask any one of them have they ever seen me being abusive to any employee of the city. They're speculations, they're really not newsworthy."

City Council Chairman Dale Lambert said the council doesn't interfere in personnel matters in the mayor's office. "I will say I think Deeda and Christy did good jobs. I wish them well."

Anderson fired Seed after she told him she was looking for another job. The mayor said he was planning to get rid of her because of her "poor performance."

His new spokesman, Cliff Lyon, said Anderson approached him about a job earlier last week. The mayor said he had approached others even sooner.

Lyon will make $60,000. Seed made $72,677.

hmay@sltrib.com

Severance pay

* Deeda Seed will receive either about $1,500 or $4,000 in severance pay after she was fired by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

* Terminated employees receive one week of pay for every year they are employed for a maximum of six weeks, said Brenda Hancock, director of Human Resources.

* Hancock said city law wasn't clear if Seed, the mayor's former spokeswoman, should be paid severance for the time she worked in the mayor's office from 2000 to 2001 as a director of housing and his chief of staff.