Where is Mayor Nutter as budget talks rage on?

As City Council continues to debate an increasingly messy budget, Mayor Nutter is in Orlando, FL for the rest of the week for the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, an organization he is set to take over as president.

Last Thursday, when Council gave preliminary approval to a package of budget bills, Nutter was in Washington DC giving a speech on soda and obesity.

Compare this to last year's budget cycle, when Nutter physically camped out in Councilman Curtis Jones' office during the last day of debate to lobby members. But spokesman Mark McDonald said Nutter is actively in touch with members when he's out of town.

"I think there are many modes of communication and the mayor is in touch with everyone he needs to be," McDonald said. "He is capable of doing multiple things at once."

We know Nutter did call all the members who gave preliminary approval to his property tax overhaul last week. And we hear he met with Council President Darrell Clarke yesterday.