ALBANY COUNTY — The real race for county comptroller won’t be decided on Election Day in the Democrat-dominated county. It will be decided in the Democratic primary on Sept. 18.

Guilderland Councilwoman Patricia Slavick is challenging three-term incumbent Michael Conners; forcing a primary in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1.
Conners is pointing to his experience and his streak of "independent initiatives" as comptroller, while Slavick is saying new leadership is needed and is questioning Conners’s auditing practices. (See related story.)
Slavick is running on a platform of reform through better auditing practices and keeping financial risk down while Conners is running on experience, leadership, and "a proven track record."

Slavick, whose political career is based in suburban Guilderland, has the official endorsements of the Albany County Democratic Party and many of the local Democratic leaders, as well as the endorsements of the Independence Party, the Working Families Party, and several local unions.
She said she is very "honored and humbled" by receiving the endorsement of her county’s party.

A city contingent has recently split from the county Democrats; The Enterprise was unable to learn before press time who the city Democrats will support for comptroller.

Connors says he has faced primaries before because of his turbulent political history and that he believes it will help his race because: Comptrollers need to remain independent, he said.
"I’m more interested in the endorsements from the ballot box than from the political bosses," Conners said. "My first priority is to maintain my independence. The taxpayer shouldn’t have to rely on political leadership."

Conners has switched between the Democratic and Republican parties several times and ran unsuccessfully as a Republican against Democratic Senator Neil Breslin for his New York Senate seat in 2004.

Connors, whose father, Democrat Richard Conners, was a long-time state assemblyman, is now enrolled as a Democrat.
Slavick said she should be the new comptroller, not because of political endorsements, but because "the residents of Albany County deserve a professionally-run county comptroller’s office that provides effective direction and oversight to the county’s financial affairs."

Slavick, a certified public accountant, said her experience in both fiscal and information systems in the private sector and in New York State government will help make the comptroller’s office more accessible, efficient, and accountable.
Running for county comptroller has been in the back of her mind for "probably about five years," Slavick said, but she wanted to first finish her work as a town councilwoman.

Both Conners and Slavick agree that the role of comptroller is to watch over the county’s tax dollars, but Slavick sees the role as one of oversight and Conners says it’s a position of leadership.
"The comptroller is the chief fiscal officer"and has to be a watchdog for the people’s money," Conners said. The chief fiscal officer has to be a leader and the comptroller’s office is often used as a check or balance, Conners said.
"Here in Albany County, we have an outside accounting firm for the office which we contract out to bid every three years," he said. "But a comptroller’s job is to lead that office."

Slavick wants to use audits to check on the operations of the county.
"To me, the comptroller is an oversight position. It’s basically managing the funds of Albany County," said Slavick. "The other role is conducting audits"to see how efficiently things are run."

Slavick said there are many types of audits, not only financial ones, but that they all serve the same purpose — checking efficiency and managing risk. The audits can help improve county operations, she said.

Comptroller qualities

Both candidates have full résumés, but each stresses different qualifications for the position.

Slavick said her experience on the Guilderland Town Board and knowledge of local municipalities will help her on hot-button county issues such as consolidating municipal services.

Conners said his 12 years of experience as the county’s comptroller will help him identify which cooperative efforts are beneficial and which ones may hurt the county in the long run.

Both agree that the consolidation of some shared services should be investigated.
"It could be a good thing, but it would have to have a cost benefit," Slavick said of consolidating services. "Me, personally, I would need to have all of the facts in front of me"Elected officials need to look into it. I think creative initiatives are needed"but it’s a balancing act."
Conners said it could help save money for the county, but that it’s "not the silver bullet."
"Cooperative efforts"are efforts that hold a real potential," he said. "However, there are cases that you have to have proper staffing and you’re going to have to pay for it"You manage these costs with better planning and better spending."

Slavick said that her educational background coupled with her private sector and government experience with finances and information make her an ideal candidate. But with less campaign money than Conners, Slavick said she is using old-fashioned shoe leather to take her message to voters.
"I am very goal-oriented," Slavick said. "I have been out every evening and every weekend going door-to-door all over the county and talking with people"I like meeting with people and I like going to events."

Conners said he has proven himself in the past as a good comptroller and will continue to do so. He said taxpayers need leadership.
"I think one of the major points of this race is who is the demonstrated leader," Conners said. "Are you going to be a leader who can handle the pressure of bucking popular opinion and tremendous political forces"
"The office of comptroller must remain independent," he concluded.

Background

Slavick has lived in Guilderland since 1978, which is how long she has been a Democrat. She has been on the town board for seven years. Asked what she, as an individual, had accomplished on the board, Slavick cited the town’s noise ordinance.

Slavick has an associate’s degree secretarial science from Schenectady County Community College; a bachelor’s degree in business from The College of St. Rose; and a master’s degree in accounting from the University at Albany School of Business.

She received her Certified Public Accountant license in 1997 and a Business Analyst Certificate in 2006. Slavick worked at General Electric for 20 years, providing accounting and corporate tax support, and currently works at the New York State Comptroller’s Office.

Her campaign website is: www.patriciaslavick2007.com.

Conners has lived and worked in Albany County most of his life. He began his public career in 1988 as the gubernatorial appointee and treasurer of the Albany Municipal Finance Water Authority. He has a bachelor’s degree from Siena College and is a Certified Insurance Counselor and was the chief operating officer of MF Conners & Sons Agency, a 104-year old insurance agency in Albany.

Conners was elected county comptroller in 1995 and re-elected in 1999 and again in 2003.

His campaign website is: www.conners2007.com.

Conners lives with his wife, Kathleen, at their Brookside Avenue home in Menands and has six children. Slavick lives with her husband, Steve, and their two children on Randomwood Drive in Guilderland. Both candidates say they are confident that voters will make the right choice.