A familiar face will be returning to the Albany Common Council.
A seat on the Albany Common Council is opening up now that 6th ward councilor Gabriella Romero has won a seat in the New York State Assembly. Romero will represent the 109th district seat long represented by Democrat Pat Fahy, who won the race to succeed fellow Democrat Neil Breslin, who is retiring from the 46th Senate district.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan introduced former Common Councilor Richard Conti on Wednesday to serve on the panel for one year as an interim member. "He is not going to run for the seat, he is just going to be filling that vacancy," Sheehan said.
Conti represented the ward from 1997 to 2021, when he decided not to run for another term. Conti joins the council January 1st, finishing out Romero's term until the next election.
"It was not something I planned for, not something I was seeking, and I have no intention or desire to run for a full term next year, so it was only as an interim appointment to fill that one year gap," said Conti.
The 6th Ward includes the Center Square neighborhood, encompassing Washington Park on its west side running from South Lake Avenue southeast to South Swan Street, bordered on the southwest by Myrtle Avenue and on the northeast by State Street and Washington Avenue.
"I have served the board 24 years prior to this," Conti said, "established a record of service, public service, which is important to me. So I would seek to continue to build on what I've achieved, and, you know, to continue to be a voice for our ward on the council, focusing on those issues that I have always focused on, which I think are important to the constituency here. And hopefully, you know, we can do a good job. And as I said, we also need to focus on who we want to represent us for the longer term in the next four years. So I'm hoping that we have a good discussion among potential candidates for next year's elections."
Conti says his focal points include public safety, quality of life, and the financial health of the city.
“The bigger picture is not just representing the sixth Ward, but also the city as a whole. And you know, the fiscal health of the city is something that's important as we move forward into the new year, and also with potential challenges, you know from the change in the federal administration now,” said Conti.
Romero texted a response to a request for comment saying she sends Conti love and wishes him success for an extra year on the council.
Conti says the fall 2025 election will be watershed for Albany in terms of the city's future direction after Sheehan’s three terms. Sheehan also appointed city corporation counsel Marisa Franchini to serve as city court judge. Robert McGee has been appointed as her replacement.
Also returning to city leadership is former Police Chief Brendan Cox, who is stepping in in an interim role next month when Chief Eric Hawkins departs for a position in Michigan.
