Even as he burnished his image as an international political figure, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa faced heightened challenges at home last year over his aggressive efforts to consolidate and assert his authority.

One of just two officials nationally to offer the Democratic response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address last January, Villaraigosa also hosted Mexican President Vicente Fox and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and was feted during a trade mission to Asia

But on the issue he has deemed the most important in his 18 months as mayor -- reforming the Los Angeles Unified School District -- the mayor grappled with his harshest critics and ultimately found his efforts stalled in court...

Villaraigosa said he hopes to be successful in appealing the ruling that invalidated Assembly Bill 1381, which would have allowed him to run some of LAUSD's lowest-performing schools and given him more control over the entire district...

Joel Kotkin, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said the mayor was skillful in his use of political power during his first full year on the job.

Kotkin said that even when Villaraigosa has suffered a setback -- such as the court ruling against AB 1381 -- he used it to his advantage.

Kotkin has been among critics who question the city subsidies granted for the Grand Avenue civic center project being developed by billionaire Eli Broad and the l.a. live entertainment complex that broke ground in 2006 near Staples Center.

The city has agreed to waive the hotel bed tax for a number of years for both projects -- some $60 million that otherwise would flow to the city's coffers.

Villaraigosa and his supporters see city involvement as an investment to provide for the region's future growth.

Ultimately, Kotkin believes Villaraigosa's political future depends on the local economy, saying that there may be storm clouds on the horizon, with the city not doing as well as some of its neighbors.

"As long as he keeps the property values up, he will be able to continue to do things."

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