Several Albany Common Council members are proposing the panel establish a summer recess. Not everyone is on board.
A recently introduced ordinance stipulates that no legislative sessions would be held during July and August, and no "agenda be set unless the Common Council is called back into session" with a minimum seven days’ notice. 10th Ward representative Owusu Anane says the proposal is ridiculous.
"We're not Congress traveling to Washington or some distant place representing Albany residents," Anane said. "We are only minutes away from our constituents. The Common Council was designed to function in part so that we can do the people's business while still being able to meet our constituents on a regular basis. To request the summer recess with all the issues, all the issues of the city faces, gun violence, unemployment rates, and without any sort of salary deduction is absurd. I will not be supporting this legislation."
Anane also fears the mayor's office would use the recess period to its advantage.
Ninth ward councilor Megan Keegan supports the proposal. She says a recess would not inhibit the council's ability to make laws or deal with issues.
"If you look at what went on over this past summer, the majority of our committees did not meet," said Keegan. "So major legislation did not move this summer, we had a really difficult time achieving quorum at many meetings due to folks being out of town. And I think that that's one of the drawbacks of having meetings every week is that people are not scheduling their time away from town. There's just no way to schedule that without missing a vote, ever."
Originally nine councilors' names appeared on the proposal. Five have since dropped off including Tom Hoey of the 15th Ward, who says he remains open to discussing a recess further.
"We do need more support staff," Hoey said. "For 15 legislators to have four people, it just doesn't work out. I have bills that I would like to introduce, they just don't have the time to work on for me to do the investigation to change the code. So that's what we're looking for."
The next council meeting is scheduled for September 19th. Third-term Democrat Mayor Kathy Sheehan says it’s up to the panel to hash it out and decide if a summer recess is in the cards.
"I think that the council has to have that conversation and make that determination," said Sheehan. "I'm sure they'll hear from their constituents what they think about that and make that determination going forward."
Councils in nearby cities of Troy, Schenectady, Cohoes and Rensselaer hold meetings every month of the calendar year. Albany Common Council President Corey Ellis did not return a request for comment.
Under city code, councilors earn just under $10,000 a year during their four-year term.
