ALBANY COUNTY — The newly elected chairman of the Albany County Legislature announced committee appointments on Monday, Jan. 29, following through on his promise to appoint more minorities, women and minority members to positions of power. He also announced the creation of five new task forces with specific agendas, three of which will be co-chaired by a bipartisan team of two legislators.
Submitted photo
According to the county charter, new chairs must appoint members to the legislature’s standing committees within 20 days of their election to the office. “We have been working closely with leadership of both the Majority and Minority caucus to to build standing committees that reflect the great talent across the entire Legislature,” said Joyce. “Assignments were chosen on a merit-based criteria, taking into consideration the member’s professional experience, in addition to their leadership potential.” Sixty percent of leadership positions on standing committees and task forces are women or legislators who represent minority majority districts, he noted.
Joyce, the son of Harold L. Joyce, who also served as chairman of the Legislature and the Albany County Democratic Committee and for whom the county office building is named, made history when he appointed four Republicans to chair committees and five to serve as vice-chair. No Republican has ever held a committee chairmanship in the legislature’s history. Two women were also appointed to chair committees and three were named to vice-chair. (The 39-member Legislature currently has 10 Republicans and eight women.)
Committee appointments are as follows.
Audit and Finance
Dr. Charles Dawson Jr., Chair (D-35)
Mark Grimm, Vice-Chair (R-29)
Paul Burgdorf (R-23)
William Clay (D-12)
Christopher Higgins (D-5)
Raymond Joyce (D-13)
Joseph O’Brien (D-25)
Richard Mendick (R-36)
Wanda Willingham (D-3)
Public Works
Paul Burgdorf, Chair (R-23)
Vicky Plotsky, Vice-Chair (D-38)
William Clay (D-12)
Paul Miller (D-32)
Patrice Lockart (R-26)
Joseph O’Brien (D-25)
William Reinhardt (D-33)
Christopher Smith (D-39)
Travis Stevens (R-31)
Social Services
Sam Fein, Chair (D-6)
Merton Simpson, Vice-Chair (D-2)
Douglas Bullock (D-7)
William Clay (D-12)
Frank Commisso (D-11)
Patrice Lockart (R-26)
Richard Mendick (R-36)
William Reinhardt (D-33)
Richard Touchette (D-37)
Health
Raymond Joyce, Chair (D-13)
Todd Drake, Vice-Chair (R-19)
Bryan Clenahan (D-30)
Dennis Feeney (D-28)
Brian Hogan (R-21)
Lynne Lekakis (D-8)
Alison McLean Lane (D-14)
Sean Ward (D-16)
Wanda Willingham (D-3)
(Sustainability) Conservation & Improvement
William Reinhardt, Chair (D-33)
Richard Mendick, Vice-Chair (R-36)
Frank Commisso (D-11)
Dennis Feeney (D-28)
Sam Fein (D-6)
Gil Ethier (D-18)
Lynne Lekakis (D-8)
Vicky Plotsky (D-38)
Travis Stevens (R-31)
Public Safety
Patrice Lockart, Chair (R-26)
William Clay, Vice-Chair (D-12)
Doug Bullock (D-7)
Paul Miller (D-32)
Vicky Plotsky (D-38)
Ralph Signoracci (D-17)
Peter Tunny (R-22)
Travis Stevens (R-31)
Sean Ward
Personnel
Mark Grimm, Chair (R-29)
Lynne Lekakis, Vice-Chair (D-8)
Raymond Joyce (D-13)
Joseph O’Brien (D-25)
Lucille McKnight (D-1)
Alison McLean Lane (D-14)
Travis Stevens (R-31)
Richard Touchette (D-37)
Sean Ward (D-16)
Law
Christopher Higgins, Chair (D-5)
Bryan Clenahan, Vice-Chair (D-30)
Paul Burgdorf (R-23)
Peter Crouse (R-24)
Joanne Cunningham (D-34)
Dennis Feeney (D-28)
Sam Fein (D-6)
David Mayo (D-20)
Vicky Plotsky (D-38)
Mass Transit
Douglas Bullock, Chair (D-7)
Peter Crouse, Vice-Chair (R-24)
Norma Chapman (D-4)
Gil Ethier (D-18)
Brian Hogan (R-21)
Lynne Lekakis (D-8)
David Mayo (D-20)
Alison McLean Lane (D-14)
William Reinhardt (D-33)
Civic Center
Frank Mauriello, Chair (R-27)
Norma Chapman, Vice-Chair (D-4)
Bryan Clenahan (D-30)
Dennis Feeney (D-28)
Sam Fein (D-6)
Christopher Higgins (D-5)
David Mayo (D-20)
Merton Simpson (D-2)
Peter Tunny (R-22)
Elder Care (Aging)
Wanda Willingham, Chair (D-3)
Gil Ethier, Vice-Chair (D-18)
Robert Beston (D-15)
Norma Chapman (D-4)
Frank Commisso (D-11)
Brian Hogan (R-21)
Lucille McKnight (D-1)
Richard Touchette (D-37)
Ralph Signoracci (D-17)
Court Facilities
Merton Simpson, Chair (D-2)
Peter Tunny, Vice-Chair (R-22)
Robert Beston (D-15)
Gil Ethier (D-18)
Paul Miller (D-32)
Brian Hogan (R-21)
Lucille McKnight (D-1)
Richard Touchette (D-37)
Ralph Signoracci (D-17)
“In order to harness the full talent and potential of each and every individual member of the Albany County Legislature, and to address critical issues for both our own body and Albany County,” said Joyce. “We’ve created the following task forces. The task forces will immediately get to work to deliver recommendations, and a plan to address them.”
The new Albany County Legislative Modernization task force will be co-chaired by Mark Grimm (R-29) and Lynne Lekakis (D-8).
They have been tasked with looking at ways to reduce paper waste through development and delivery of an electronic voting system; making legislators voting records more easily accessible to the public; and streamlining legislative operations.
The Legislative Rules Reform task force will be co-chaired by Gil Ethier (D-18) and Richard Mendick (R-36), and will utilize “input from legislative colleagues and both of their combined institutional knowledge” to refine and update the Legislative Rules of Order, as well as develop a plan to educate members on any potential changes in coordination with the Legislative Modernization Task Force.
The Economic Development & Sustainability will be co-chaired by Chris Smith (D-39) and Lucille McKnight (D-1), and will focus on what small business owners in Albany County can do to thrive and sustain their success and follow up on the beginning of Shop Albany County by continuing to coordinate with local Chambers of Commerce on business trends and best practices to promote local small businesses.
“This is great news for Guilderland because I will be in a stronger position to further the interests of my constituents,” said Grimm. “I’m excited about working with the new Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce and Republican Leader Frank Mauriello.”
