I am running for Philadelphia City Controller because qualifications, experience, and diversity are important factors in serving as the City's chief financial watchdog. As a life-long Democrat and former Deputy City Controller for 12 years, I have over 25 years of extensive experience in city and state government. I will be Philadelphia's first Black City Controller - a milestone I will not take lightly.

I have the necessary qualifications and experience to expose and eliminate waste, fraud and mismanagement in city government. In addition to serving as a Deputy City Controller for 12 years, I was senior analyst for the Philadelphia Gas Commission and an audit manager for the Auditor General's Office. I was a legislative assistant to former Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco. I have 12 years of extensive audit experience in procurement and contracts and making sure the city got what it paid for. I headed up investigations into the lack of diversity and minority participation in city contracts and procurement opportunities. I held the city's feet to the fire on diversity and minority participation. My office investigated the conditions of our city schools and rec centers, providing a blueprint for ReBuild priorities.

The role of the City Controller is to monitor the city's finances and act as the City's chief fiscal watchdog by auditing the various city departments and conducting more in-depth performance audits to expose significant levels of waste, fraud and mismanagement in city government. The Controller's Office also performs the comprehensive annual AFR (Annual Financial Report) of the City and School District of Philadelphia. I will be a City Controller who focuses on solutions to improve how our city government works. I want to work with the various city departments to weed out waste, fraud and mismanagement -- efforts aimed at improving the delivery of city services. If need be, I will use the office as a bully-pulpit to advocate for changes and improvements in the way the city operates.

Absolutely. In addition to conducting all of the necessary audits and pre-auditing functions, I would use the Controller's Office as a think tank to impact city policy by exploring new ways to address existing problems. I believe it is vitally important to prioritize the needs of our neighborhoods and our citizens. The City Controller can have a dramatic impact by advocating for long disadvantaged sectors of our city - while also exposing waste, fraud, and mismanagement in city government.

I think the Controller's Office can manage both functions. With a dedicated and hardworking staff, the Controller's Office can perform all of its necessary auditing and fiscal safeguard functions, as well as proposing new ways to improve the functioning of city government.