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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.

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.

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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.

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By Shannon McDonald

The Tacony Civic Association will hold a general meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Disston Memorial Presbyterian Church at Tyson Avenue and Glenloch Street.

Members of the Philadelphia Fire Department will be there to discuss the new firehouse, along with City Controller Alan Butkovitz, who will answer questions about the budget.

Attendees are instructed to use the side door of the building.

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.

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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.

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