New York state lawmakers who represent Albany County are expressing worry about the abrupt firing of the Albany Airport Authority CEO — reportedly as part of a ploy by the county executive to take over the job.
In a joint letter to the airport board, Democratic state Assemblymembers Phil Steck, Pat Fahy and John McDonald say they have concerns over the future of the airport, pointing out it receives significant state funding.
It comes after Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said minutes earlier he will not seek to become the next CEO. Early in his fourth term, the Democrat released a statement Wednesday saying he looks forward to supporting and working with the next candidate chosen by the Airport Authority Board.
McCoy’s statement comes days after the firing of Phil Calderone, a former deputy county executive under McCoy, to pave the way for McCoy to take the job.
According to reporting by the Times Union, Calderone was abruptly dismissed by the authority board because McCoy was angling to take over the higher-paying job instead. The airport has not denied the report.
McCoy has said he always entertains different job opportunities, but in his latest statement said he is “committed to continuing my career in public service with Albany County.”
In their letter to the board, the state lawmakers say they “welcome greater comment from the board and/or an opportunity to discuss next steps.” They go on to say $100 million in state and federal funding is currently going toward key upgrades at the airport, which they call a critical economic engine, and say it’s critical the work be completed on time.
With respect to replacing Calderone, they also call on the authority to update its job description from 2019, the time of the last search.
The airport authority board responded with its own written statement later Wednesday, saying it “has been the subject of significant and inaccurate speculative dialogue and false conjecture,” adding “it is not unusual” for such bodies “to conduct personnel discussions and other sensitive matters in executive session.”
The statement confirms the board decided to fire Calderone on August 12 on a contract that had been slated to run until December 1. It says it will provide further updates as warranted.
