Albany Common Council Meeting - February 2, 2026: Street Renaming, Senior Tax Exemptions, and Budget Transfers
Albany Common Council Meeting - February 2, 2026
The Albany Common Council held its regular meeting on Monday, February 2, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting followed a caucus session where several items were discussed. The council passed a resolution honoring the Larson family and renaming a portion of Sycamore Street, approved a local law increasing senior citizen tax exemption levels, and approved a budget transfer for the chief city auditor's office. Other items were introduced or held for further review. Public comments addressed FOIL request transparency and snow removal prioritization.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Adam Daskalakis (11 Farlon Av, Albany) spoke about the importance of public records transparency. He noted that a FOIL request filed 16 days prior had not been fulfilled beyond an automated response, and criticized the inaccessibility of the city's open data website. He proposed making all city contracts publicly available and creating a repository of public record examples to improve transparency.
- Keith Irish (ninth ward) urged the council to pass Local Laws A and B unanimously. He opposed any alterations to the already-approved 2026 budget, saying "the budget is the budget." He strongly criticized the Department of General Services (DGS) for snow removal, stating that residential streets should be prioritized over business districts, and argued that snow emergencies should be declared automatically rather than after a delay. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency at the PEG Access Oversight Board meeting (January 15, 2026), noting no agenda was posted and no recording was made.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 612-26R – Street Renaming for Larson Family: Councilmember Jack Flynn, sponsor, described the contributions of James William Larson (fire chief for 40+ years), Molly Quinn Duffy (a nurse and volunteer), and their daughter Molly Finney Larson (volunteer, active in schools). Councilmember Hoey noted that Molly Duffy was his niece by marriage and worked for the water department. The resolution renames a portion of Sycamore Street in their honor. The street naming ceremony is scheduled for April 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM.
- Local Law B of 2026 – Senior Tax Exemption Automatic Renewal: Councilmember Hoey introduced the local law, which would allow seniors who have received the property tax exemption for five consecutive years to sign an affidavit instead of filing annual renewal applications. The law will be considered by the finance committee.
- Local Law C of 2026 – Majority Whip Position: Councilmember Keegan introduced a local law to add a majority whip position for the Common Council, with salary and fiscal impact details to be attached. It will go to the finance committee.
- Resolution 7126R – Budget Transfer for Chief City Auditor: Councilmember Keegan expressed reservations, noting that the chief city auditor had requested to convert two planned positions (a second auditor and a communications staffer) into a chief of staff role. She stated that the auditor had not provided a clear explanation of how the change would maintain audit performance. Councilmember Ballarin urged an up-or-down vote, saying delaying affects people's lives. Councilmember Johnson cautioned against setting a precedent of following the mayor's office. A straw poll showed sufficient support, and the resolution was later passed.
- Resolution 4126R – Mayor's Administration Positions: Councilmember Keegan noted that the administration had not provided the requested fiscal impact analysis for fiscal year 2027, so the resolution was held for the next council meeting.
- Public Safety Committee Meeting: Councilmember Hoey announced that the public safety committee will meet on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, to introduce Fire Chief Gregory and Police Chief Brendan Cox. All council members are invited for a tour of the fire department.
Consent Calendar
- No separate consent calendar was utilized; however, several items were passed by voice vote or roll call without objection:
- Resolution 1121-26R (commending Assemblymember Gabrielle Romero) – voice vote, unanimous.
- Resolution 821-26R (honoring Black History Month) – voice vote, unanimous.
- Resolution 921-26R (celebrating Lunar New Year, Year of the Fire Horse) – voice vote, unanimous.
- Resolution 1021-26R (appointing Deirdre Brody to Lark Street BID Board) – roll call, 15-0.
Key Outcomes
- Passed unanimously (15-0): Resolution 612-26R (street naming), Local Law A of 2026 (senior tax exemption increase), Resolution 1021-26R (BID appointment), and voice-vote resolutions (Black History Month, Lunar New Year, commending Romero).
- Passed (12-3): Resolution 7126R (budget transfer for chief city auditor). Councilmembers Farrell, Keegan, and Zamer abstained.
- Held for further information: Resolution 4126R (mayor's administration positions) will be voted on at the next council meeting.
- Introduced to committees: Local Law B (senior exemption automatic renewal) to finance, Local Law C (majority whip) to finance, Ordinance 12126 (smoking products) to law, Ordinance 22126 (easement) to finance.
- Next meeting: Finance committee will meet on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
Additional Notes
- Councilmember Ballarin expressed support for Central Avenue receiving snow removal attention, responding to public criticism, and emphasized that all streets need equitable treatment.
- Councilmember Hoey reported attending the NYCOM conference and raised the question of whether certain appointed boards must comply with the Open Meetings Law; he will share information with the council.
- The council thanked outgoing legislative analyst Alyssa Kamara for her service.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you all. All right, we're live now. I just want to thank um I'm calling order the uh DGS Health and Services Committee meeting. Council members present is Art Lupin, Rachel Powell and Zamer, and myself, Jack Flynn. Uh tonight we're going to be discussing a resolution that was already passed through committee, but due to uh the family was not able to make it, and uh due to uh let legally we had to start a new session. So this this uh resolution did already go through committee, but we're gonna do resolution six twelve twenty-six R a resolution on the life and legacy of Molly Finney Larson, Molly Quinn Duffy, and James William Larson, and we're naming a portion of Sycamore Street and their honor. So I am the uh sponsor of this. Uh just say a few words. If you don't know Chief Larson, was a fireman for over 40 years, he was also the chief. His wife Molly Quinn Duffy, uh, very active in the school district. She was a nurse, very involved, doing a lot of volunteering for our community, and their daughter Molly Duffy uh was just a tremendous every year. She made Christmas cookies for the kids. Uh very did a lot of volunteering for Monte Christi school and was just another advocate for our youth in the city of Albany. Um I've known the family probably since the eighties, since uh I went to St. Catharines and they uh their family went to St. Teresa, so I have a lot of history with the family, but when you talk about families in the city of Albany, the Larson family is well deserving of this. And unfortunately, Molly, you know, the father and uh Molly uh the Duffy uh died tragically, so it's an honor that we have this name in their honor. And uh not only that, but the all that worked at their son Jimmy's done with uh San Speedo run, you know, it's active in the AIDS community, and uh their son Chris fouled in their footsteps as being a firefighter also with the uh family. So um with that, uh any community have any uh thing to say also thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to thank you, Councilmember uh Flynn for bringing this forward for for getting this going. It's a it's well deserved. Um I've also known the family for a long time and uh proud to be supporting this. Thank you. Anything else? Uh uh, yes. I saw President is Councilmember Hoey and President Potem, Jenny Frell. Uh Council Hoey on the uh thank you. Thank you, Jack. Um Molly Duffy was actually my niece. She was married to my nephew, and I just like to point out also she worked for the water department for many years. Um, and actually, I got into an argument with her about a bill, not realizing that she was married to my my nephew. So um, but I know the family. I met them not as long as you, of course. Um, but very very nice people, very community-oriented, and uh I think this is a nice honor for them. So uh thank you for supporting this. Thank you. Uh Jenny, do you have anything to say? I know you've known the family, but I know you're just getting here. I think it is absolutely a wonderful thing to do. Um I look forward to co-sponsoring it when it comes to the floor. And um, sometimes you have an example of the reason why we do street renamings, and I think this is one of them. So thank you. Thank you. I'd like to make a motion to move resolution six point twelve point twenty-six R out of committee with a favorable recommendation. I'll second. All right, or second. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye.
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