Candidates seeking the Democratic nod to run for Chief City Auditor in Albany debated this week.
The position of Chief City Auditor is currently held by Dorcey Applyrs, who is running for mayor after Kathy Sheehan decided not to seek a fourth term.
The "Power and Politics" Debate was held Tuesday evening at CBS6 studios in Niskayuna. 34-year-old Albany County Legislator Sam Fein, who represents the 6th district, Sheehan's chief of staff David Galin, and former Albany Common Councilor John Rosenzweig are facing off in June 24th’s primary.
The 35-year old Galin, who has not held elected office, is endorsed by Sheehan, while 54-year-old Rosenzweig has the backing of Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, and is endorsed by the Albany County Democratic Committee.
The candidates discussed how their experiences qualify them for serve as auditor, with Fein noting his background in public administration and auditing, Galin stressing his role in city administration and public service, and Rosenzweig focusing on his educational and community involvement.
Fein said “When I worked in the city auditor's office, I remember a time when we recovered thousands of dollars, thousands of dollars that a contractor was overcharging the city. So one of the fundamental roles of the office is to review every invoice from every city department and approve it before it's spent.”
Galin said “The auditor pays the bills, audits investments that the treasurer makes, and then audits the processes and service delivery that the departments make every single day, and why it matters is because the auditor has a role in improving public safety, in addressing quality of life concerns.”
Rosenzweig said “I think there's a lot more that the city can do with the help of the city auditor being active. There's been several audits over the past few years, and I think the big part, and the most important part of audits is that they are acted on. I want to work with a mandate from the people of the city of Albany, and I want to make sure that my audits are acted on.”
A critical moment in the debate came when candidates were asked their opinions on a common council committee investigating city workforce ethics stemming from allegations that have surfaced including discrimination, sex, drugs, violence and bribery. Rosenzweig used the opportunity to take a swipe at the current administration.
“We can't operate as a city when there's no leadership at the top. So this is where the independence of the chief city auditor's role comes into play, and can help direct what's going to happen in the city, and what safeguards we can put in place moving forward. I think that the common council is doing a good job with this right now. I have seen them, but I do know, as being a former common council member for two terms, that their resources are limited. I think this is the type of challenge that would need every resource in the city, put on it,” said Rosenzweig.
Fein says in this situation an independent oversight authority is critical. "Those employees who made those allegations deserve to have their voice heard. They deserve an investigation, and they deserve a resolution. And the city auditor's office exists to be that independent oversight. To provide that accountability and that transparency to the public. So as city auditor, I would conduct an investigation, and the public would know what's happening with that investigation, those results would be made clear," Fein said.
Attempting to set the record straight, Galin says he disagrees with what he calls "the politicizing of personnel matters."
“As chief city auditor, I would hire an independent third party to review the accusations that are made, and that's exactly what's been taking place currently. The administration hired an outside third party. The outside third party did an investigation. They set forth recommendations that included enhancing training, which has already been implemented. And I'm proud to report that recently, the city and the blue collar union came to an agreement, and the blue collar union withdrew their grievance,” said Galin.
All three candidates vow to uphold transparency and express their independence from the four Democratic mayoral candidates.
