At least Cambridge has a budget.

While the United States government shutdown continues into the new year because of the federal budget impasse, Cambridge will spend at least the first week of 1996 without an elected mayor.

At the first City Council meeting of the year on January 1, Cambridge's nine City Councillors split the vote for mayor 4-4-1 and postponed a revote until the next meeting on January 8.

Four votes each went to Brancis H. Duehay '55, backed by the Cambridge Civic Association, and to last term's vice-mayor Sheila T. Russell, backed by the Cambridge: Alliance, Two-term mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72, who is affiliated with neither party, voted for himself.

The January 1 vote strictly followed party lines. "People haven't come together around a vote for mayor since people have different political philosophies," said Councillor Katherine Triantafillou. "As a progressive, I am more inclined to be in support of a progressive candidate," she said.

But Russell downplayed the role party affiliations will play in Monday's vote. With the end of rent control in Cambridge, she said, the election is more about giving other councillors the opportunity to serve as mayor than it is about party differences.

"Mr. Reeves did a good job, but he had two chances in a row and he really needs to stand back and let someone else have a chance," she said. Russell emphasized her experience and energy as her main selling points as a possible mayor.

Duchay, who also noted his longevity on the council and his concern for quality of life issues, said, "There's nothing particularly negative about [Reeves]; other people are just putting credentials forward."

Reeves, who received the most votes of any councillor in November's popular election, disputed the notion that it was time to step aside. He said that the purpose of his candidacy is to guide the school committee, citing the fact that under his leadership more high school students are taking algebra and have access to science courses.

"They treat the mayor of Cambridge as a symbolic position, but the truth of the matter is that today the chairing of a school committee could never be ceremonial," Reeves said. "I'm very interested in ensuring that we do not fail our children."

Councillors said they could not predict whether votes will have changed by Monday's meeting.

"Members of the City Council are talking to each other about the various positions and qualifications," Duehay said. "I don't know if this will be decided next week, since the discussions have not led me to believe any decisions have been made."

Reeves said he does not know whether other councillors will shift to his side. "I do believe that reasonable people are listening," he said, "[but] my crystal ball's not that good."

Until a mayor is elected--which has taken as many as several hundred re-votes in the past--senior member Duehay, who has served 13 two-year terms as councillor, will chair the proceedings.

Russell said the councillors appeared to be facing a stalemate but that discussion remained "friendly and civilized."

Under Duehay's leadership, the Council should continue to make progress on its agenda, Russell said. "There are a lot of issues, and we all work...together well," she said