"As your Albany County Legislator, I’ve fought for transparency and accountability, and delivered results. Now I’m ready to do the same as your next City Auditor.” - Sam Fein

As City Auditor, Sam will bring:

  • Transparency: A commitment to keeping the public informed.

    Sam will be to bring unprecedented transparency to the residents of Albany. He will facilitate communication between you and city departments and ensure you are consistently informed about the status of your requests and the city's actions. Whether you’re applying for a permit to replace your furnace or requesting a pothole to be filled, the process will be seamless.

  • Accountability: Ensuring every tax dollar delivers real results.

    Sam is committed to holding city government accountable to the people. He will meticulously track and transparently report every tax dollar spent, and ensure it results in real improvements throughout our communities. By making this data readily accessible, he aims to foster a culture of trust and ensure that our city's financial decisions are always open to public scrutiny.

  • Independence: Fair, unbiased leadership you can trust.

    Sam will operate independently of the Mayor's office. The Auditor is elected directly by the peope and is supposed to answer directly to the people - not the Mayor or the Common Council. This autonomy is essential to ensure that audits are fair, unbiased, and focused solely on serving the interests of Albany's residents. Sam will hold all levels of city government accountable without favor or influence.

Sam will make the City Auditor’s a powerful force for reform:

HOUSING

Everyone deserves to live in safe, affordable housing they can call home. But in Albany, rents are rising and homeownership is out of reach for too many. With over 1,000 vacant buildings and no clear plan to put them to use, we’re missing a major opportunity to build affordable, community-owned housing.

As City Auditor, Sam will:

  • Evaluate zoning policies to identify where targeted zoning reforms can increase housing development - especially affordable housing - and foster walkable, well-connected neighborhoods.

  • Streamline the planning approval process to reduce delays, lower costs, and make it easier and more predictable to build housing.

  • Turn vacant buildings and lots into community-owned housing by identifying funding sources and coordinating efforts across government, residents, nonprofits, and developers to drive real investment into the neighborhoods that need it most.

SAFETY & QUALITY OF LIFE

Albany is home to strong, connected communities - but too many residents feel unsafe and underserved. Gun violence has taken a heavy toll and city services too often fall short. Public safety isn’t just about what we fund - it’s about how we respond, whether our systems build trust. That means a coordinated approach that includes mental health care, youth support, and true community policing.

As City Auditor, Sam will:

  • Strengthen community safety efforts by identifying strategies that address build lasting safety and stability - like youth intervention programs, mental health services, restorative practices, and community-based violence prevention.

  • Make policing more effective and accountable by evaluating and improving community-based strategies, like mental health response models, and identifying barriers to putting them in place.

  • Improve city response to resident complaints by tracking and reporting metrics and identifying inefficiencies to ensure consistent, timely delivery of basic services like filling potholes and cleaning up neglected storefronts.

VIBRANT ALBANY

A safer, more vibrant Downtown Albany can lift up the whole city. But too many storefronts sit empty, and too many people are struggling with homelessness, mental health, and neglect. With the right investments and a commitment to revitalization, we can create a lively, welcoming downtown that drives opportunity across every neighborhood.

As City Auditor, Sam will:

  • Develop a practical plan to reduce homelessness by examining the city’s housing and outreach efforts, identifying gaps, and investing in proven solutions, like permanent supportive housing, that get people off the streets and into stable care.

  • Ensure the state’s $400 million Downtown investment delivers results by monitoring how funds are spent, prioritizing lasting improvements that lift up communities, and ensuring residents have a voice.

  • Audit tax incentives to ensure they benefit the public - not just developers - and make them accessible to everyday residents investing in their own communities.