The late Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who once called New York state’s hundreds of authorities “quasi-public, Soviet-style bureaucracies” that constitute a “shadow government,” helped create the five-member Public Authorities Control Board (PACB) which helps oversee the state’s hundreds of authorities, and which must receive a resolution of approval prior to entering into any project-related financings.

You have to wonder what Brodsky would have made of a story broken by the Albany Times Union’s Brendan Lyons that almost has Shakespearean overtones. 

For the last two years, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy has reportedly had his eye on another job that pays more than the one he currently has: That of CEO of the Albany County Airport Authority, a $227,000 per year gig.  

The problem is, the job is already filled by McCoy’s former deputy, Phil Calderone.  

By most accounts, Calderone has been doing a good job: Winning federal grants, overseeing a $100 million renovation and expansion project and attracting new airlines to Albany. But his contract was not renewed by the Airport Authority Board. 

There’s also speculation that McCoy, who has appointed three of the seven members of the board, may have orchestrated a kind of coup. 

The abrupt change at the top of the airport has alarmed three local lawmakers, Assemblymembers Pat Fahy, John McDonald and Phil Steck, who wrote a letter to the Airport Authority Board saying they were concerned about the future of the facility.

“Arguably, the airport is the largest economic engine in the Capital Region,” McDonald told Capital Tonight. “When (the $100 million dollar renovation project) is done, and it should be done sometime next year, they’re going to realize we’re really serious about business and growth.” 

The money for the renovation project comes from both federal and state funding, so the lawmakers say they have a deep interest in what’s happening there.

“The reality is, there are some options here. And I think the board has to take these options seriously,” McDonald said. “Maybe there’s a way to continue with Phil (Calderone) till the end of the project. Maybe there needs to be an interim person with experience.”

When asked if there is a systemic problem with the airport authority, Fahy said it’s something that she wants to examine.

“I remember, years ago…the comptroller issued a report about all the state authorities. And there’s always a lot of questions. We just went through a million of those questions with creating the Saint Rose-Pine Hills Authority – state-created, county-run,” Fahy explained. “The model was the Airport Authority, so that was the model legislation which is almost a little ironic here. There are hundreds of these. The comptroller years ago raised a lot of questions about them. This raises questions.”    

Upstate airports, including Buffalo, Syracuse and Monroe, are all operated by authorities, but each airport’s board has a different configuration. For example, Buffalo’s Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority has a 12-member board appointed by the governor; one of the members is appointed on the recommendation of the county legislature and another member is recommended by the county executive. The Albany Airport Authority Board has seven members.

According to Reinvent Albany, there are currently 302 state authorities and 876 local authorities in New York.