Times Union Editorial: For Albany auditor: Sam Fein

In a field of strong candidates, the county legislator has the best mix of experience and independence.

By Times Union Editorial Board, Opinion

June 13, 2025

Nothing in Albany changes quickly or easily. So although the year 1998 may be, for many, half a lifetime ago, it’s worth remembering as a seismic moment for the city: Residents voted for a new charter. It was the first update of the city’s blueprint for government in more than 300 years.

Charter reform’s goal was a big one, given our history of machine politics: to move Albany away from small-group dominance and provide greater accountability. The plan included a new office of city auditor.

And that’s why the seemingly wonky role is central to Albany’s good governance. The auditor is tasked with making the city more small-d democratic by providing checks and balances and making municipal processes run better for residents. 

This year, Albany’s Democratic voters are lucky to have three strong choices for city auditor on their primary ballot, David Galin, John Rosenzweig and Sam Fein. They all have public policy experience and an understanding of the workings of government. All love the city and believe in its potential. And all see ways that collecting better information could further worthy civic goals like addressing homelessness or blight and improving public safety. 

Our pick to lead the office is Mr. Fein, who reflects the best mix of experience and independence.

Mr. Fein, who has served nine years in the Albany County Legislature and works as policy director for a state senator, has direct experience in Albany’s Office of Audit and Control: He worked as an analyst there in 2016 and 2017.

He told the editorial board that while setting policy is important, where government really has an impact is in how that policy is implemented. Do plans work the way they were intended to? Do they work for everyone? If not, why not? 

Mr. Fein says he wants to build trust in a city government that is too often seen as unresponsive or dismissive toward the concerns of residents, and wants to find out just what it is that makes Albany notoriously difficult as a place to open a small business.

Notably, Mr. Fein has bucked his party leadership at key moments, including pushing back on a county power play to oust Albany International Airport’s CEO. That speaks well for his independence in an office that, although it can support the city’s administration by providing data and recommendations, must also speak freely and authoritatively when city operations aren’t up to par.  

The other candidates would also bring strengths and experience to the office.

Mr. Galin, chief of staff to Mayor Kathy Sheehan, says his experience in the city’s executive branch would help him ask the right questions and push for clearer answers. And he has a good sense of which issues need the city's attention. 

But of the three candidates, he is arguably in the best position to have already tried to do more about those issues. Why hasn't he? The answer he gave the editorial board was unsatisfactory: He pointed to the pandemic, observed that a government's "work will never be done," then pivoted to listing some of the Sheehan administration's accomplishments.

And that highlights our main concern: Mr. Galin is a staunch defender of the current mayor's policies, as befits his role. But those policies could be the subject of future audits, and we remain unsure how well he’d make the transition from guard dog to watchdog. Indeed, in the CBS6 debate on May 6, Mr. Galin spoke up multiple times to defend the current administration in the face of critiques from the other candidates.

Mr. Rosenzweig, a past two-term member of the Common Council, has decades of service in Albany public schools as a teacher and, in recent years, an attendance officer. He speaks with compassion about the students he’s encountered, as well as their families, and recognizes the obstacles that lead to truancy. Making sure the next generation has opportunities to thrive here, he says, is one of the motivations for his candidacy. 

Mr. Rosenzweig emphasized two other qualities: his independence and his utter distaste for politics. But we suspect he may find that the long shadow of politics can be difficult to dodge. 

We’d like to set aside the fact that he and County Executive Dan McCoy are brothers-in-law by marriage; as Mr. Rosenzweig said, “I can't apologize for who my sister-in-law fell in love with and married.” However, the connection may cloud public confidence in his approach to the auditor’s role, especially given Mr. McCoy’s long reach into other arenas of power, such as the Albany County Airport Authority.  

And Mr. Rosenzweig sees a staunch ally in county Comptroller Susan Rizzo, a former city auditor who is also seen as a McCoy ally. Mr. Rosenzweig says he plans on “taking any advice that Sue makes available to me” because of her city and county experience. Seeking advice is fine; less fine is not recognizing that even the appearance of being too close to county politics could affect his office’s work. 

Mr. Fein has the best chance of establishing public confidence in his work, no matter who the next mayor is. Combined with his experience, we find him most qualified to deliver the objective checks and balances the auditor’s office was created to provide.