Albany County Legislature confirms assigned‑counsel administrator waiver and reappoints airport, convention center members amid oversight questions

At a meeting of the Albany County Legislature, members approved three personnel and board appointment items: a personnel line increase and residency‑waiver request for the assigned‑counsel administrator candidate, reappointments to the Albany County Airport Authority and an appointment to the Albany Convention Center Authority.

Jack Rosen, a policy analyst with the county executive’s office, presented a request to raise the personnel line for the assigned counsel administrator from the current level to a higher level at the county’s request to comply with guidance from State Indigent Legal Services. Rosen said the increase would be covered in part by state funds and that the selected candidate, Shane Hugg, currently lives in Troy and is an existing county employee who has worked in the public defender’s office since 2020. Rosen described Hugg as the top qualified candidate for the role. The legislature voted to approve the salary line change and to waive the county residency requirement for the appointed assigned‑counsel administrator.

Several appointment items related to authority boards also moved forward. Legislators voted to reappoint Sarah O’Connor and another incumbent (identified as Hicks) to the Albany County Airport Authority. During discussion, County Legislator Bergdorf expressed concern that neither the airport authority members nor the authority’s CEO candidates were present for questioning and raised a series of oversight questions for the authority, including the timing of an executive search and whether the authority had issued an RFP for that search. “They have not even done an RFP for the executive search plan,” Bergdorf said. He also asked whether the authority would publicly state its view on a state legislator’s proposal that Bergdorf said could affect airline service at Albany Airport, and whether the authority planned to broaden its annual audit to better capture airport operations.

The legislature also confirmed the appointment of Todd Shapiro to the Albany Convention Center Authority to replace Stephen Lerner. County staff cited Chapter 468 of the Laws of 2004, which created the Albany Convention Center Authority as a New York State public benefit corporation charged with developing the downtown convention facility. Legislators asked whether other appointees were present and raised questions about the authority’s funding formula and absent members.

A roll‑call tally was not recorded in the meeting transcript for every vote. The reappointment of the airport authority members drew at least one recorded dissent in the discussion; other appointments were approved by voice vote.

Legislators placed several questions on the record for follow‑up: when the airport authority intends to begin a national executive search, whether the authority will comment publicly on state legislative proposals that could affect airport service, and whether the authority will change audit procedures to increase operational oversight.