He is in control now

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Alan Butkovitz built a lot of friendships in his 15 years as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
So, when he sat down to write his letter of resignation — delivered at noon on Dec. 31 to Speaker John Perzel — it was a bittersweet moment.
"You feel like you’re closing an important chapter in your life," he said.
Butkovitz, a Democrat who was elected in 1990 to represent the 174th Legislative District, just started a new chapter in his life.
Last week, he took the oath of office as Philadelphia’s new city controller. He’s "very excited" about the challenge of making an impact on life in Philadelphia.
"It’s a tremendous opportunity to play a leading role in making the city better," he said in an interview in his 12th-floor office at the Municipal Services Building, 1401 JFK Blvd.
Butkovitz, a 53-year-old married father of two from Castor Gardens, replaces fellow Democrat Jonathan Saidel.
In 1991, Butkovitz knew he had big shoes to fill when he was elected to succeed Democratic Rep. Max Pievsky. That transition went smoothly. This one did not.
Butkovitz clashed with Saidel and former first deputy controller Tony Radwanski over issues such as personnel, budget and transition space.
The new controller said his new ideas for the office shouldn’t be interpreted as an indication that Saidel was ineffective. Instead, he’d like to build on his predecessor’s legacy.
"It’s silly for there to be any bad blood," he said.
On Tuesday, Butkovitz will take a public oath of office from Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Bernstein in a ceremony at the Academy of Music. Bernstein, a longtime friend, also performed the official swearing-in.
Butkovitz’s replacement in the House will be determined in a special election on March 14. Former Assistant District Attorney John Sabatina Jr. will likely be the Democratic nominee. The Republicans will pick a candidate this week.
Already, Butkovitz has found his new job to be quicker paced than that of a legislator.
"It’s really energizing. It’s rejuvenating," he said.
Though on the job for less than two weeks, Butkovitz said he wants to play a key role in bringing ethics reforms to city government. Personally, he wants to gain a reputation across the city for honesty.
To bring ethics reform to city government as a whole, he’s hired Ellen Green-Ceisler, who formerly served as the Philadelphia Police Department’s integrity and accountability officer, to head the controller’s anti-corruption unit.
The unit will, among other things, try to determine if a contract-holder has committed any violations before being paid by the city.
In a city where some high-ranking officials are being investigated, Butkovitz thinks the time is now to change the culture that leads to corruption.
"We need to seize the moment," he said.
Lisa Deeley, Butkovitz’s longtime legislative aide, will serve as director of the controller’s community outreach effort. She’ll help citizens in ways such as how to dispute a city-issued bill and how to manage their personal finances.
Pointing to a study that shows 58 percent of Philadelphians have home computers, Butkovitz plans to make the controller’s Web site interactive, with multiple links.
Replacing Radwanski as first deputy controller is Harvey Rice, who most recently headed the Office of Safe Schools Advocate. Butkovitz hired Rice because of his work on school violence and his previous experience working for Joe Vignola in the controller’s office and at the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA). He described him as "loyal" and a creative thinker.
Overall, the office employs 129 people, most of whom are civil servants.
Perhaps their top priority will be to conduct performance audits of all city departments.
The office will make sure that the Department of Licenses and Inspections is responding to reports of barking dogs, noise and illegal duplexes. It will look into whether the Anti-Graffiti Network is responsive to reports of graffiti in communities. And it will monitor whether the police department is doing everything possible to ensure public safety.
"It might help save a neighborhood," he said of the focus on performance audits.
Butkovitz, who’ll remain as Democratic leader of the 54th Ward, plans to be in the middle of what promises to be a major issue in 2006 — the city’s move to assess properties at market rate. At present, the Board of Revision of Taxes uses a formula to determine property taxes.
Mayor John Street supports the move, and backers insist that the change will be "revenue neutral."
However, skeptics worry that some neighborhoods — like the Northeast — could see higher property taxes.
Butkovitz believes riverfront development and property tax abatements on new construction are great for the Northeast. He hopes the higher property values don’t result in higher taxes.
It’ll be up to City Council to offer remedies, such as a cap on tax increases or a lower millage rate.
If citizens are about to get socked with a higher property tax bill, Butkovitz won’t keep quiet.
"I think I should call that to people’s attention," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com