By Tom Waring

Times Staff Writer

For the last 36 years, Philadelphians have elected a Democratic city controller to be the watchdog of a government run by fellow Democrats.

Every four years, Republicans call for a change in the office, but voters have disagreed.

This year, Republican challenger Al Schmidt has repeatedly noted that Controller Alan Butkovitz is Democratic leader of the 54th Ward.

"We have a city controller who is a ward leader who audits other ward leaders," he said. "That is not good government by any stretch of the imagination."

Butkovitz defends himself against accusations that he goes soft on Democratic mismanagement.

The controller points out that his office's investigations have uncovered deficiencies at the Board of Revision of Taxes and Clerk of Quarter Sessions. And, he was the lead critic of the School District of Philadelphia fiscal policies under former CEO Paul Vallas.

"I've been very independent," he said.

Butkovitz, 57, a married father of two from Castor Gardens, is a lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1991 to 2005.

In 2005, he entered the controller's race after incumbent Jonathan Saidel decided to retire to pursue a mayoral run that never materialized.

Butkovitz defeated Republican candidate Hillel Levinson with 72 percent of the vote, losing only the 26th Ward in South Philadelphia, the 45th Ward in Bridesburg and the 55th, 64th and 66th wards in the Northeast.

Earlier this year, Butkovitz survived a three-way Democratic primary with 42 percent of the vote against John Braxton and Brett Mandel.

In that race, Braxton and Mandel criticized Butkovitz for not being independent enough and for not doing his job. Schmidt has picked up on those themes, adding that many volunteers from the Braxton and Mandel campaigns have joined his team.

Butkovitz's opponents have chided him for not conducting financial audits for every city agency every year, as required by the Home Rule Charter.

"You can't eliminate fraud if you're not looking for fraud," Schmidt said.

Butkovitz said his performance audits have revealed shortcomings in the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative finances and the school district's food receipts and musical instrument inventory.

In addition, he has ordered that wages be garnished for city employees who owe property taxes.

Also, he backs a resolution by City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski that calls on the city to implement a tax amnesty program that is projected to bring in up to $200 million in a short period of time.