There's been a lot of chatter lately over the people Mayor-elect Richard Berry is bringing into his administration and their salaries. For my part, I think it's a little early to pass judgment on Berry's team.

He's only rehired one prominent Chavez administration offical so far -- Police Chief Ray Schultz. And most of the department heads he's picked will be making less than their predecessors did.

There are certainly valid criticisms that can be made about Berry's picks so far, but I'll probably give it a little time before I start digging into whether people think he's assembled a good-enough team. Two especially critical appointments remain: chief operations officer and chief financial officer.

And, no, it's not a sure thing that Ed Adams will be COO. He was certainly in the mix for the job at one point, but it's hard to determine whether he still remains under consideration.

Of course, the hubub over who gets what job might seem mild in a few months, depending on the local economy. The Berry administration will face some tough choices if city revenue remains lower than the already-weak predictions the budget is based on.

The latest talk is the city could be in for $12 million to $20 million in adjustments -- out of a $475 million budget. That'll be a big hit if the city must make enough cuts late in the fiscal year to come up with $20 million. (It's easier to make cuts early in the year because you can spread the pain out over more months. The fiscal year ends June 30.)

Some links:

• Jeff Maher of KOB-TV offers an early look at the criticism Berry faces on appointees.
• An ex-aide to Transit Director Greg Payne accuses him and the city of discrimination, but her complaints have been dismissed by two agencies that looked into them. A lawsuit is pending.
• Berry announces Barbara Bruin for animal-welfare director, among a host of other appointments.
• Scroll down here for Joe Monahan's take on all the appointment talk at City Hall.
• Former Mayor Jim Baca says Berry is promoting some longtime city employees, a move he thinks may have mixed results.

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