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City councilors overrode two of Mayor Martin Chavez's vetoes on June 18 in moves that showed some of his traditional allies and veteran foes switching sides.

"I think it's pretty odd how it all played out," said Councilor Sally Mayer. "It's hilarious."

At issue were two items that voters will decide come Oct. 2. One would nearly triple the salaries of city councilors to just under $30,000. The other would require those looking to recall an elected city official to cite some sort of malfeasance, rather than mere policy disagreements.

The pay raise passed two weeks ago on a 5-4 vote, with Councilors Debbie O'Malley, Brad Winter, Michael Cadigan and Martin Heinrich - mayoral foes all - voting with the mayor and against sending the decision to voters.

The recall requirement passed 8-1, with Winter voting against.

Both votes trump vetoes Chavez issued Friday, remarking in a statement that "at this time, I believe it is patently unfair to deny tax relief to working families . . . and simultaneously seek pay raises for city councilors and make those same officials virtually immune from recall."

He was referring to a recent fight over whether to implement a tax cut on Jan. 1 (his preference) or July 2008 (the preference of a majority of the council).

Some of the councilors - Cadigan, Heinrich, O'Malley and Winter - who voted against Chavez on the timing of the tax cut, aligned with him on the pay-hike proposal.

That put Chavez ally Ken Sanchez, who supported the pay raise, in the unusual position of leading the charge to override the mayor's veto. He was joined by the mayor's friends, Councilors Mayer and Craig Loy.

"I was shocked because I didn't hear from the mayor that he was planning to veto this legislation," Sanchez said, adding, "We do tend to work well together."

But Sanchez had only five votes, and overrides need six.

Enter Council President Debbie O'Malley, who decided group solidarity trumped her vote two weeks ago against the pay-raise proposal.

"It was the will of the majority," she said.

And then, it was the will of a super majority.

Six votes overrode the pay-raise veto. The recall proposal vote was 7-1, the same as before minus Councilor Don Harris, who was excused.

And so went the third and fourth veto overrides of Chavez's mayoral tenure.

Chavez issued this statement Monday night: "This matter represents a philosophical difference between the administration and the City Council. . . . The voters will have to decide which is a better course for Albuquerque to take."

If history repeats itself, voters will vote the pay raise down - as they have 10 times since 1977.

The recall issue hasn't much historical precedent.

While it may have thrown a few council watchers for a loop, Mayer pointed out that at the end of the day, alliances didn't matter much and independence reigned.

"I think that tells you everybody has some personal integrity," she said.