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Words with Weitzman

Nassau County comptroller says he has earned the promotion to statewide office

By Edward-Isaac Dovere

As the search for a new state comptroller continues, City Hall caught up with Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman, one of the three finalists picked by the independent screening panel for the job. Before first being elected in 2001, Weitzman worked in the private sector as an auditor and CPA, with a specialty in healthcare finance. He spoke about his plans for the office, his relationship with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, his thoughts on Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s executive budget and why he is not sure that the state constitution needs to be amended to provide for a special election for vacancies like this one.

City Hall: How has this process been?
Howard Weitzman: It’s been an interesting process in that it’s really taken on two tracks. There’s the qualifications side of it and then there’s the political side of it. I’m really pleased with how I’ve done with the qualifications side of it, being reported out of the committee … The political side I’m not a player in, it’s just something that I have to watch as it develops.

CH: You sent out a letter to state legislators urging them to consider you. Have you been doing more lobbying? How do you convince them to pick you?
HW: That letter was in conjunction with a package of material we sent out. … I have not lobbied the Legislature on this because I believe the decision is up to the Legislature, and they’ll meet with their leadership and decide on the course of action. … I don’t think it’s appropriate to lobby the Legislature on this.

CH: Have you spoken to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver?
HW: I have spoken to some of the leaders, but just again to make sure that they’re aware of my qualifications. Since the committee reported out, the newspapers have really been the ones picking up on this.

CH: Have you spoken to Gov. Eliot Spitzer?
HW: I only spoke to the governor about this once, which was before the process started, and I just wanted to better understand what the process would be. I met with the governor Jan. 16 or 17, right before this process began.

CH: What did he say to you about getting involved?
HW: The governor, just based on the work I’ve done in Nassau County, said that I should get into the process.

CH: Do you think he wants you to get picked?
HW: I’ve never asked him that question.

CH: How do you feel about the dispute over whether the independent screening panel should have reported out five people, instead of three?
HW: I don’t know how they made their selection. I was just honored to be one of the people voted out.

CH: Should there have been Assembly members on the finalist list?
HW: The five Assembly members I thought were terrific. I don’t know the criteria [the screening panel] used.

CH: If you had been comptroller the last four years instead of Hevesi, what would have been different?
HW: I think the major responsibility of the comptroller’s office is clearly the stewardship of the pension system. The returns that were obtained by the professionals in that department were stellar. … Nassau County got 120 million in relief in 2003-4. We worked with the comptroller’s office on that. That’s not something I think would have been different. I think in respect to the audits, the school audits that were precipitated by the Roslyn scandal, we volunteered to work on that .

Had I been in office, I would have lobbied as hard for legislation in response. … I might have done that earlier, but I certainly supported what they did.

I would have built on the work I did on special taxing districts. … We’ve already started auditing some of those where we established the authority Everyone brings a different philosophy to office. I do think Alan Hevesi did a good job as comptroller. I think he made very bad decisions in the last few months of his term. … In terms of the professionals he brought into the office, I think he really did a stellar job.

CH: What needs to change in the comptroller’s office in the next four years?
HW: I think the biggest change that’s necessary is a reform of the financial practices in New York State. We went through that in Nassau County five years ago, where Nassau County was voted the worst run county in America prior to my election in 2001. … Debt reduction plan which was very important, the reduction of state debt. … I think clearly after stabilizing the staff in the comptroller’s office … you really got to deal with the state’s budget issues, and reduction of their debt.

CH: What about auditing?
HW: With respect to the auditing which needs to be done, I would clearly focus on the authorities that have been identified as ‘invisible governments,’ not subject to public scrutiny, not subject to public control.

In that area, you can use the power of your office either through audits or through policy papers... The comptroller’s don’t make policy. That’s the Legislature and the governor. But it’s clear that any actions taken in the comptroller’s office influence policy...

CH: What’s your relationship like with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi?
HW: Good question. It’s definitely professional. It’s respectful. And we return each other’s phone calls. I think we deal with each other as separate elected officials. I don’t try to influence. I don’t try to overstep the boundaries
I think sometimes as difficult as it has been for him, he’s understood that it’s been my role to point out abuses in government... Considering I’m the watchdog over his agencies, I think we have a very good relationship.

CH: Should the process of selecting a new comptroller be changed once this is done? How do you feel about amending the constitution to provide for special elections in the case of vacancies like this one?
HW: There’s been a lot of discussion about that, the fact that in many other cases there’s always a special election. There are pros and cons to that. The fact that this is a statewide office, the question is what would happen if you had someone in an interim position...

People have raised concerns that in this case... You’ve seen the extreme now, four full years. Clearly it’s a matter that I think should be open to public discussion. I don’t think it affects this process.

CH: Had you ever thought of running for statewide office before this?
HW: Actually, not at all. If you looked at the office holders in the state, they’re all Democrats, and I’m a Democrat. Even though comptroller is a non-partisan position, clearly people run on a partisan basis. It never occurred to me to run for state office. Possibly if Alan had retired down the road.

CH: Have you read Spitzer’s executive budget proposal?
HW: Yes.

CH: What do you think of it?
HW: I think the property tax relief is a good thing. Coming from the suburbs, I know how important property tax relief is. We have to analyze it to see how it’s being distributed… I’m also very much in favor of the governor’s plan to distribute the property relief on ability to pay, which is something I’ve called for, for a very long time. The devil’s in the details.

The education issues: I’m very much in favor of putting more money into underserved districts.

I’m a little concerned about the Medicaid cuts, and I really have to analyze those closely. The healthcare delivery system in this state is stressed already, and that could push it over the edge.

The governor did put a lot of spending into his budget, and whether or not that’s sustainable has to be looked at it.

CH: You think mounting state debt is a major problem. Are you concerned that the executive budget proposal might increase state debt?
HW: Having substantial amounts of debt outstanding is a drag on state government. We found in Nassau County that when you inherit a large debt load sometimes you have to increase it first to take care of it. But you have to have a long term plan.

CH: Some people think that concerns of adding ethnic or geographic diversity to the group of people who make up New York’s statewide elected officials should influence the decision of who the next comptroller is. Are you worried that might hurt your chances?
HW: Actually I haven’t heard anybody talking about that. In an election cycle that’s something that’s discussed about balancing the ticket. In this case, we have a unique opportunity to pick someone solely on who’s most qualified to do the job.

CH: Would you run for reelection in 2010 if picked now?
HW: If I’m fortunate enough to be picked, I’m going to be so swamped with doing what we have to do. … After a few years, if I saw that what I was doing in the comptroller’s office was achieving the required results, then I’d have to consider it.

…

Four years of a term is a long time. I’m in my second one right now. I know how long it is.

WM: From what I understand, it’s a very professional and confident and good-performing office, so I’d be inclined to keep the folks who want to stay.