Fels grad defeated by wide margin in city controller primary

In a lone heated race during an otherwise quiet primary season, incumbent Alan Butkovitz defeated 1993 Fels Institute graduate Brett Mandel in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia’s city controller, a position responsible for auditing the city government’s budget.

In an election with very low turnout, Butkovitz won by a wide margin — beating Mandel almost two to one. A third candidate, Mark Zecca, garnered about 8 percent of the vote.

Mandel, who worked in the controller’s office when former Fels instructor Jonathan Saidel was controller, took aim at Butkovitz by attempting to portray him as cozied up to the political machinery in Philadelphia. He released a tool on his website showing where and to whom the city’s budget goes, including Butkovitz’s own salary.

“I would say that [Butkovitz] is not doing his job, period,” Mandel told The Daily Pennsylvanian earlier this year. “So any money that we’re giving him in salary is not money that he deserves.”

Butkovitz, for his part, has criticized Mandel for being a “show man” and having a “thin record.” A Twitter account, @MandelExposed, also took jabs at the challenger.

In the past several weeks, both candidates have thrown accusations back and forth in aggressive mailing campaigns — Butkovitz claiming that Mandel “raised your property taxes” through his work on the Actual Value Initiative, and Mandel implicating Butkovitz in the Philadelphia School District’s $300 million deficit and the closure of district schools.

Butkovitz will face unopposed Republican candidate and 2010 Fels Institute graduate Terrence Tracy in the November general election. Given the Democrats’ overwhelming advantage in Philadelphia, it is likely that Butkovitz will be elected to his third term. He is also considering a run for mayor in 2015, which could force him to resign midway through his term.

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