May9
From left: City Council members Maria Quinones-Sanchez, Mark Squilla, Kenyatta Johnson, Marian Tasco, Darrell Clarke and Bill Greenlee. Photo/Shannon McDonald
Can a City Council budget hearing be called such if only six members attend? Last night was Northeast Philadelphia’s turn in a series of meetings Council is holding to take public testimony about the Fiscal Year 2013 budget.
President Darrell Clarke led the hearing and was joined by a mostly silent but present 1st District Councilman Mark Squilla, 2nd District Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, 7th District Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, 9th District Councilwoman Marian Tasco and Councilman-at-large Bill Greenlee. continue reading »
Sep29
Courtesy of Al Schmidt, Republican candidate for City Controller.
Meet Al Schmidt. He’s running for a low-profile office during increasingly tough times. Schmidt is the Republican candidate for City Controller, running against incumbent Democrat Alan Butkovitz.
The City Controller is responsible for overseeing government spending and auditing the appropriate agencies, something Schmidt says Butkovitz hasn’t done, and something he vows to do himself, if elected.
Note: NEast Philly also conducted interviews with incumbent Alan Butkovitz and one of his opponents in the Democratic primary, Brett Mandel.
Name: Al Schmidt
Raised: North Hills, Pittsburgh
Lives: East Falls
Position: candidate for City Controller, former senior analyst for the Government Accountability Office
Education: Vincentian Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Allegheny College undergraduate. Ph.D. from Brandeis University in Boston, MA.
Family: Wife Erin and 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Maggie
Continue reading for an interview with Schmidt about his goals as potential City Controller, and his relationship with the Northeast. continue reading »
May20
Incumbent Alan Butkovitz, far left at NEastPhilly and WHYY's debate, won the Democratic primary for city controller
By Shannon McDonald
Alan Butkovitz, incumbent Democratic candidate for city controller, won yesterday’s primary race, in which he ran against Brett Mandel and John Braxton.
Butkovitz faced off against his opponents in three debates, one co-hosted by NEastPhilly.com and WHYY. The Castor Gardens resident will go up against lone Republican candidate Al Schmidt in the November general election.
May7
Updated: 9:37 a.m. 5/8/09
By Shannon McDonald
NEastPhilly.com and WHYY partnered last night to host a debate for the city’s three Democratic candidates for city controller, Alan Butkovitz, John Braxton and Brett Mandel. The debate was moderated by WHYY’s Chris Satullo and took place in the John Perzel Community Center, where the Mayfair CDC operates. Among the hot topics were real estate taxes, department audits and the day-to-day duties of Philadelphia’s city controller. WHYY has audio and video clips from the debate, courtesy of Alan Tu.
Audience Question: How would you most effectively serve as City Controller
*Alan Butkovitz: “There has to be a sense of good faith that you’re really solving something.”
*John Braxton: “Impact is the most important. It’s not enough to audit.”
*Brett Mandel: “You have to develop a relationship that’s not a gotcha relationship.”
Tension was high at last night’s debate for the three Democratic candidates for city controller. Incumbent Alan Butkovitz joined his opponents Brett Mandel and John Braxton at a table in the front of the community room at the John Perzel Community Center in Mayfair, where insults flew back and forth and compliments were few.
On more than one occasion, moderator Chris Satullo had to reign the three men in, at one point commenting that the atmosphere had “gone from zero to nasty.”
A common theme of the night seemed to be Braxton’s and Mandel’s questioning Butkovitz on annual audits, the focus of previous debates between the men. Mayor Michael Nutter’s endorsement of incumbent Butkovitz also came up multiple times.
The two challengers took several shots at Butkovitz regarding what they considered his neglect for a major duty of the city controller position.
continue reading »
May6
By Shannon McDonald
NEastPhilly.com and WHYY will co-host a debate for the city’s three Democratic candidates for city controller tomorrow night. Two of the candidates, incumbent Alan Butkovitz and one of his opponents, Brett Mandel, have ties to the Northeast.
The city controller oversees Philadelphia’s finances, so this year’s election is especially important, and everyone from the NEast should take interest, since it’s fairly rare for two candidates for a major public office to be from the Northeast.
The debate will take place at 7 p.m. in the community room of the John Perzel Community Center, home of the Mayfair CDC. Come early, as seating is limited. If you cannot make the debate, e-mail us your questions for the candiates by noon tomorrow, and they will submitted along with audience questions during the debate.
May4
City Controller Alan Butkovitz at the Real Estate Taxation Conference held on Feb. 23, 2007 at Temple University. Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Forward.
By Christopher Wink
This Thursday, NEastPhilly.com is co-hosting with WHYY a panel discussion among the three Democratic candidates for city controller — incumbent Alan Butkovitz and challengers John Braxton and Brett Mandel. Butkovitz and Mandel both have ties to the NEast, so we sat down with each. See the first with Butkovitz today and our interview with Mandel tomorrow.
Alan Butkovitz is likely among the best-known city controllers in the position’s half-century Philadelphia history. That might not be saying much for the usually quiet head of the city’s auditing department, a position created in 1951, but Butkovitz has taken to action.
When he’s not overseeing the city’s finances, the first-term city controller hangs his hat in Castor Gardens. Indeed, like one of his chief challengers in May’s Democratic primary, Brett Mandel, Butkovitz has deep ties to the Northeast. With two candidates for a citywide office holding ties to the Northeast, that makes it a story for NEastPhilly.com.
NEast Mag interviewed both Butkovitz and his opponent Mandel and will share their interviews here on NEastPhilly.com. The incumbent is first, as seen below. See our Q&A with Mandel tomorrow.
continue reading »
Apr30
By Shannon McDonald
NEastPhilly.com and WHYY will cohost a debate for the city’s three Democratic candidates for City Controller, two of whom have ties to the NEast.
On Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m., Chris Satullo of WHYY will moderate the forum between incumbent City Controller Alan Butkovitz and his opponents Brett Mandel and John L. Braxton. The event will be held in the John Perzel Community Center and hosted by the Mayfair CDC.
This event is open to all civic organization leaders, and the public is encouraged to get involved. If you’d like to come, get there early, as seating is limited. If you have questions for the candidates regarding their campaigns for the city controller position and how their plans will affect you and your community, come and get involved.
For those who can’t make it next week, we will post a place for you to ask your questions, which we’ll then compile into a list for the debate night. Minutes from the forum will be inlcuded in a follow-up story on NEastPhilly.com after the debate.
This is a great opportunity to make a bigger name for the NEast within the city. This is the first of two city controller debates in the city, which was spearheaded by our Web Editor, Chris Wink. The Democratic primary election is Tuesday, May 19. To make an informed vote, get the answers you’re looking for straight from the candidates at our debate next Thursday.
Continue reading to see the official press release.
continue reading »
Feb19
Democratic City Controller candiate Brett Mandel at last week's budget workshop at St. Dom's in Holmesburg.
By Christopher Wink
It’s certainly early for any buzz for a city controller’s race, but, well, it’s what we have, and considering two of the leading candidates have Northeast ties, it seems this becomes a NEast story.
But now there’s a third. Former Court of Common Pleas Judge John L. Braxton, who lives in Northern Liberties, says he will be competing in the May Democratic primary for the controller office, which is charged with auditing and otherwise overseeing city government spending.
continue reading »
Feb10
City Controller Alan Butkovitz at the Real Estate Taxation Conference held on Feb. 23, 2007 at Temple University. Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Forward.
By Christopher Wink
No one knows from which neighborhood, but it does seem next year Philadelphia’s city controller will almost certainly be from the Northeast.
Since 2005, Alan Butkovitz has been charged with overseeing the fiscal sanctity of city government. Butkovitz, who grew up in Overbrook and went to Temple, now lives in the Northeast with his wife and two children in Castor Gardens – what neighborhood hasn’t yet been confirmed.
What’s notable is Butkovitz’s primary challenger in May’s Democratic primary for the controller position is Brett Mandel, executive director of tax policy think tank Philadelphia Forward and, it turns out, a Northeast native himself.
continue reading »
