Despite being sent to the Albany County Legislature without a recommendation by the personnel committee in January, the body confirmed County Executive Dan McCoy’s appointment for county attorney Thomas Marcelle by a vote of 27-10 at the Monday, Feb. 13, meeting.
“Our system of government is designed to provide checks and balances and to approve executive appointments with the advice and consent of the legislature. I applaud the legislature for its determination to advance my appointments after an exhaustive vetting process,” said McCoy.
McCoy’s nomination of Marcelle was a matter of contention among some members of the legislature, specifically Democrats, who questioned whether he was suited for the job since he served as counsel to the legislature’s minority and was part of Breslin’s redistricting commission.
“You’re trained to defend your clients. My loyalty will be to the county,” said Marcelle at a meeting with the legislature’s personnel committee. “I will defend their issues as vigorously as I can.”
However, chairman of the legislature Shawn Morse said “there was never a time” he didn’t think Marcelle would be confirmed, based on his qualifications.
“I really think a lot of the issues were stirred up from the different organizations that were trying to stop the confirmation and not as much from the legislators,” said Morse.
McCoy, a Democrat, said he expected a “healthy discussion” to take place during the vetting process but still stood by his pledge to base his appointments on individual qualifications, not politics.
“I said when I took office that I will run this county as a business and that I will appoint the most qualified individuals to help me lead, based on their history of accomplishments rather than their political or personal ideology,” said McCoy.
McCoy said he “applauds the decision” of the legislature because “it’s the right one” and the “right move.”
“It’s time to get down to business,” said McCoy.
The legislature also confirmed McCoy’s other two appointments, Kathleen Dalton as commissioner of social services and Darrel R. Duncan as commissioner of public works. Dalton is a member of the Colonie Planning Board and Duncan most recently served as the highway superintendent for the Town of New Scotland.
