Panel PIcks Hevesi Successor Candidates
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – An expert panel chose three finalists for state comptroller Thursday.
The panel of former state and city comptrollers choose Wall Street financier Bill Mulrow, New York City financial officer Martha Stark and Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman.
None of the finalists chosen by the panel pushed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer were candidates who are currently in the state Assembly. Hours earlier, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he wanted one of his members and that it was “inconceivable” that the finalists wouldn’t include more than one of his members.
“They can give me whatever they want,” Silver said. “We don’t have to pick one of them. There is no statute here.”
Silver said earlier Thursday that lawmakers could opt for someone excluded from the panel’s list because state law empowers the Legislature to fill vacancies.
Earlier this month, however, Silver had agreed with Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to create the expert panel and choose from as many as five of its finalists.
Spitzer had sought the panel as part of his effort to assure the next comptroller had sufficient experience and integrity to replace Alan Hevesi. The Democrat resigned in December amid a scandal of using a state worker as a driver for his wife.
Under law, a joint session of the Legislature fills vacancies in statewide elected offices.
Because the Legislature is dominated by Democrats and Silver is the top Democratic legislative leader, he would control the process, under law.
Eighteen candidates sought to fill the $151,500-a-year position.
“The job is not determining when to buy or sell 1,000 shares of a company,” Silver said. “It is knowing how government works, knowing audits, knowing school districts and local governments. It is putting the right people in place.”
Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson had no immediate comment.
Charles Carrier, a spokesman for Silver, said it would take a majority 107 votes in the 212 member joint Legislature to win the comptroller’s job. That means if there are multiple candidates and no one gets a majority, the person with the lowest vote total would be dropped from contention and lawmakers would vote again until someone got a majority.
