CITY CONTROLLER: LOW-PROFILE OFFICE OFTEN TICKET TO HIGH-LEVEL CAREER.

Byline: Rick Orlov

IN an election where nearly all the focus is on the race for mayor, three candidates are struggling to break through to get some attention for the least known, or perhaps least understood, citywide office - city controller.

With City Controller Rick Tuttle leaving office because of term limits, Councilwoman Laura Chick - herself a victim of term limits - is campaigning against businesswoman Laurette Healey and author Mervin L. Evans for the right to a four-year term as the city's chief auditor and bookkeeper.

The job pays $146,356 a year. And, while the office does not get much attention other than when audits are released, it has served as a political stepping stone.

Ira Reiner held the office before becoming city attorney and, later, district attorney. James Hahn, who held it and then moved on to city attorney, is one of the top contenders for mayor this Election Day.

The race pits two Valley residents - Chick and Healey - against a resident of South Los Angeles and offers the prospect that the first woman will be elected to citywide office.

It also has been beset with behind-the-scenes political intrigue as Mayor Richard Riordan - frequently at odds with Chick - backs Healey with political support and, more important, capital.

Healey, 46, who owns her own company, Entertainment Marketing Associates, downplays the Riordan involvement, insisting it was her own idea to run for the office.

``I was thinking of running for the school board,'' Healey said. ``Talking with the mayor, he mentioned the controller's race. I have a very strong business background and in looking at the most synergistic position, clearly, it was the Controller's Office, hands down.''

But Chick said she sees only Riordan's involvement.

``I find it ironic that this mayor, the man who brought us term limits, is trying to reach out and control almost every elected office - from the school board to the Controller's Office - even after he will be gone,'' Chick said.

Chick, 56, was elected in 1993 after defeating her onetime boss, Councilwoman Joy Picus, in the 3rd Council District in the west San Fernando Valley. She won re-election easily in 1997.

She declared her intention to run for controller early last year and successfully kept most other potential contenders from entering the race, including Riordan's former deputy mayor, Noelia Rodriguez, and state Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys.

Her desire for the new post, she said, comes from her years of experience on the council as well as her time in private industry, running a family business.

``I know what it's like to meet a payroll and have to deal with customers,'' Chick said. ``I know what it takes to make a profit. I also know what goes on here at City Hall.

``The difference is that on the council, you need to get eight votes to get anything done. As controller, you have the power to audit programs to see where money is going and you have the bully pulpit of the office to force change.''

Also, she said the Controller's Office has broader powers under the new City Charter to conduct performance audits of all city agencies, including Airports, Harbor, and Water and Power, which previously had been exempt from review.

By opening up the government process to greater public scrutiny, Chick said it could affect the secession drives in the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere.

``A lot of the reason for secession is frustration that people don't feel they are getting their fair share,'' Chick said. ``I think we have to open up government and let people see where the money is going and what services they are getting. Maybe it will help ease that frustration. Maybe it won't and will justify what they have been saying.''

Healey, who also lives in the Valley, said she believes it is still too early to decide if the Valley should break off.

``There are so many complex issues to look at,'' Healey said. ``There are water rights and the infrastructure, to begin with. What would it cost to replace that?

``We have to evaluate if the Valley is receiving its fair share. We need to do an inventory and really analyze the city's assets and see where they are allocated. We need a sound economic plan.''

Healey said the election allows her to pursue her interest in politics, which dates from her childhood. Her father served as a state legislator in New York.

If elected, she said she will work to try to streamline city operations and end an overlap on similar programs being operated by different agencies.

Healey, a lesbian, said she believes sexual orientation is no longer an issue in a city like Los Angeles. In addition to her business experience, Healey also touts her work on breast cancer research and is a breast cancer survivor.

Evans, 48, of South Los Angeles and a candidate in several past elections, says he has no qualms about putting secession to a vote.

``I say, let's have an election on it,'' Evans said. ``The one thing that is certain is that if Los Angeles breaks up, it will no longer be a world-class city.''

Evans, who described himself as an author and investment banker, said he wanted to use the Controller's Office to advance programs to help children and try to end the criticism of the Los Angeles Police Department.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1) CHICK

(2) HEALEY