By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Is Mayor Mark Funkhouser doing a good job, despite all the distractions?

A church friend recently posed that legitimate question after saying she was tired of all the attention given to the mayor’s wife, Gloria Squitiro.

Last week I wrote about the 2008 citizens survey, which shows satisfaction ratings for city services have fallen dramatically since Funkhouser took office in May of 2007.

Today consider how well the mayor is doing in tackling the “Top 10 priorities” he promotes on his Web site.

Here’s the report card:

"Establishing a good working relationship with the Council.” Grade: F

This won’t take long.

The mayor lost a high-profile battle with the council to replace City Manager Wayne Cauthen. Funkhouser alienated two of his original committee chairs (Ed Ford and Cindy Circo) by removing them from their posts. The mayor has badmouthed other allies, such as Jan Marcason, in public. And he was criticized earlier this month by Marcason, Circo, Ford, Terry Riley and others for suing the city over their attempt to keep Squitiro out of his office at City Hall.

"Getting the City’s finances in order.” Grade: C

The mayor did a respectable job earlier this year working with Marcason and Deb Hermann to pass a budget that pared costs and called for fewer employees. Since then, however, a projected deficit has ballooned, and Funkhouser — outside of sending sharply worded letters to Cauthen — has had little impact on this issue.

"Making downtown work.” Grade: C

Funkhouser hasn’t greatly helped or impeded downtown’s progress, which took off under Mayor Kay Barnes.

"Tending to our neighborhoods” Grade: B

Funkhouser’s New Tools initiative, which is still taking shape, is his best shot at bringing economic development to parts of the city other than downtown. The mayor supported a successful capital improvements campaign in 2007 and a renewed bus tax in 2008, both of which are serving neighborhoods.

"Implementing the Housing Policy task force recommendations” Grade: C

The mayor said two months ago that little progress was being made on this front; Circo disputes that. Now Funkhouser has appointed Sharon Sanders Brooks as chair of the panel, which she wasn’t even serving on.

"Improving the perception and the reality of public education in Kansas City.” Grade: D

Funkhouser spent time on a task force that looked at how to improve the Kansas City School District. But the panel has had little impact on a district that’s now missing a permanent superintendent and two school board members.

"Reducing crime.” Grade: C

Violent crime was up in 2007, and the police are asking for dozens of new officers. But the city will be hard pressed to pay for them.

"Repairing our sewer systems.” Grade: B

Marcason has pushed along a sewer plan scheduled to go before the council in December. Other council members have pressed to make sure the proposal includes more green solutions. So far, Funkhouser at least gets credit for staying out of Marcason's way.

"Establishing an excellent regional transit system, which includes light rail.” Grade: D

Voters defeated the light-rail plan that Funkhouser backed. The mayor got the ball rolling this year on regional transit, but county leaders now are pushing Funkhouser aside.

"Improving citizen satisfaction with city services.” Grade: F

This is the most distressing grade of all. Funkhouser campaigned hard on raising satisfaction ratings, yet they have fallen across the board.

Overall, this is a dismal grade card for Funkhouser’s top priorities — and for Kansas Citians, who deserve a much better performance from him.

Editorial Board member Yael T. Abouhalkah can be reached at 816-234-4887 or at abouhalkah@kcstar.com. Read his blog posts at voices.kansascity.com. He appears on "Ruckus" at 7 tonight on KCPT, Channel 19.