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I had always perceived a reasonably high level of civility among most members of the Montgomery County Council. My neighbors and I expected it, even in the days before the council became completely Democratic. But since the death two years ago of the doyenne of the council, Marilyn Praisner, civility has all but disappeared, and a council elected to serve the public now spends a great deal of time and effort playing self-destructive games. On Dec. 1, the fracture within the council became visible to all, as Nancy Floreen and her allies — George Leventhal, Valerie Ervin, Nancy Navarro and Mike Knapp — engineered a coup d'etat. (Normally, council vice-president Roger Berliner would have moved up to become president).

Before those five council members who formed a new realignment of power become too self-congratulatory, they ought to be more aware of a growing skepticism from the public and media.

To wit:

- Floreen's manipulated elevation to council president, which flies in the face of 40 years of council tradition, has drawn attention to the machinations of a partisan coalition that seems to be willing to act at the behest of special interests.

- Floreen, unlike Phil Andrews, does not have a reputation for leadership or achieving unanimity. While president, Andrews was able to act in a neutral manner and the council passed significant legislation. It's doubtful Floreen is capable of doing that.

- Despite strong public support in the past, Leventhal's volatile behavior toward Duchy Trachtenberg and Marc Elrich, and his weak record over the past three years, have raised questions about his ability to play a positive role on the council.

- Navarro, the newly elected council member after the death of the Praisners, is considered responsible for this new partisan realignment. Unlike the Praisners, who both provided liberal leadership grounded in fiscal conservatism, there is little hope she can act completely independent of the coalition, which was made possible by her election.

- Because of the current economic distress, the public might become more vigilant over future plans for development and growth, even if it's done under the guise of "growing jobs." Increasing development without providing the necessary infrastructure will be viewed critically by the public, and the Ficker amendment's passage signaled an unwillingness of a majority to pay more in property taxes.

Come the election, those five council members who have become identified with this new majority (Knapp, Navarro, Ervin, Floreen and Leventhal) might indeed find themselves scrambling for their jobs.

Michael Tabor, Takoma Park