Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan

01/09/2026

On Thursday, January 1, I witnessed the inauguration of our 76th Mayor, Dorcey Applyrs, as well as the swearing in of City Treasurer Darius Shahinfar, City Court Judge Marisa Franchini, and City Auditor Sam Fein.

It was truly an honor to see Dorcey become our new Mayor and the palpable excitement within the room for the historic moment for our city and our community.

It is said that “the only constant in life is change.” As we start a new year, and welcome a new Mayor for our great city, we all know how true that is. I am confident that our future is bright, and that great days lie ahead for each of you. I am also certain that just as you have helped and guided me over these past twelve years, you will do the same for our new Mayor. I look forward to seeing the path Mayor Applyrs leads us on — thank you for taking the baton and running with it.

I wish you all the best in 2026 and beyond. Thank you again for all you do for Albany.

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We encourage you to complete Mayor Applyrs’ survey by visiting https://www.activatealbany.com/survey

Please note: this page will no longer be monitored regularly. We encourage you to receive official City of Albany updates through the following channels moving forward:

01/07/2026

It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve you — the people of Albany.

On Wednesday, December 31, I said goodbye to our public service colleagues and left City Hall for the final time as your Mayor.

It was moving to see so many friends and co-workers, and be able to wish our new Mayor, Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, well.

Thank you to the incredible team at the City of Albany. Over the last twelve years, I’ve watched our workforce grow, innovate, adapt to challenges, and spread kindness throughout our city. I’ve witnessed greatness, and I’ve been stopped in the street more times than I can count by people who shared stories with me about how they were helped by you. It has been my privilege to work and grow alongside you, to learn from you, and to stand side by side with you in good times and bad.

No matter what you do for or within the city, please know your work matters. You are proof that when we work together, we can accomplish great things.

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Please note: this page will no longer be monitored regularly. We encourage you to follow City of Albany updates through the following channels:

12/31/2025

Today is my last day as Mayor of the great City of Albany.

On Thursday, December 18th I delivered my farewell address to residents, city employees, local, state, and federal elected officials, and community leaders at Kiernan Plaza, where it all began 12 years ago when I was sworn in as the 75th Mayor of Albany.

It has been a pleasure to serve this city, to watch progress and growth and work toward the future we deserve together.

To view the program, and my farewell to this city, please visit https://youtu.be/meMDL5AqWsg

To view photos from the farewell event, please visit https://bestframeforward.sproutstudio.com/gallery/mayor-sheehan-farewell-6945a3deec512

12/30/2025

Public safety is complex and perceptions matter.
What we can say is over the last 12 years, crime in Albany is down 21%.
That progress reflects long-term work:
✔️ smarter use of data and analysis
✔️ regional coordination across agencies
✔️ prevention-focused programs alongside enforcement
✔️ addressing root causes like addiction, mental health, and poverty
There is still work to do.
And that work continues.

12/29/2025

Officer Jan Mika served the City of Albany with distinction for more than 20 years — always ready to help anyone and everyone, often times when people were having the worst day of their lives. My thoughts are with Jan's spouse, children, family, friends, and the entire Albany Police Department as we mourn Jan's passing.

I have ordered the flags on all City of Albany buildings be lowered to half-staff through Wednesday, December 31 — the day Jan's funeral will be held — in honor of his dedication to our community.

Share Memories and Support the Family.

12/28/2025

Albany is fiscally stronger today than it was 12 years ago. That didn’t happen by chance.

Under Mayor Kathy Sheehan's leadership, we were able to:

✔️ 12 consecutive balanced budgets — no deficit spending, year after year
✔️ Capital City Funding secured — growing from $12.5M to $20M annually, finally recognizing that 64% of Albany is tax-exempt
✔️ Landfill life extended — protecting a critical revenue source and avoiding a financial cliff

Even through a global pandemic, Albany stayed balanced.

Fiscal freedom is what makes everything else possible: parks, public safety, youth programs, and infrastructure.

Counting down the legacy.

Today, we celebrate the foundation.

12/27/2025

❄️ Winter Weather Update:

Our DGS overnight crews focused on the main routes and emergency routes. At 7am, we moved to our mandatory 12 hour shifts and are fully staffed.

The crews are focusing on the secondary streets today with a sidewalk crew clearing city sidewalks. We do not anticipate declaring a snow emergency given that it’s a weekend so there is less traffic and no solid waste removal so our entire fleet can focus on snow removal. Please continue to follow all posted parking regulations.

Please note: sidewalk snow removal enforcement will start Sunday at 7am, as per the City Code. Please do your part and clear your sidewalks today!

Special thanks to our hard-working crews that have been out all night and morning to clear our streets.

12/26/2025

Happy Kwanzaa, Albany! ❤️🖤💚

Today is the first of a joyful seven-day celebration of African-American culture that represents the seven principles of Kwanzaa — Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.

As the Kinara is lit today in the spirit of umoja, I extend my wish to you and your families for a future enriched by the cooperation and unity. From my family to yours, we wish you blessings for a happy and healthy new year.

12/26/2025

It’s been two weeks since we opened the doors to one of the most transformational investment of resources ever in our West Hill neighborhood: Albany West Community Center at 520 Livingston Ave.

You may not have heard much about it on your phone, but in real life — where these things matter most — residents have enjoyed activities for all ages and gained access to resources that have been available in other, more affluent neighborhoods, for decades.

Bright Minds is booked solid with nearly a dozen kids per day, our Senior Programming is essentially full with nearly 20 participants per day, our Open Gym sessions have been a hit with anywhere between 25 and 40 people participating per day, and approximately 10 kids per evening playing in the game room and others in Chess Club. These numbers are a solid start and we expect to see even more in the coming weeks and months.

Albany West would not have been possible without the vision of two incredible public servants: Councilmembers Jahmel Robinson and Joyce Love. They advocated vociferously for this investment and helped garner the support to make it happen. Albany West only became possible because of their advocacy and leadership.

I also want to thank the community. Their input directly shaped what programming and services our Recreation Department led by Commissioner Jonathan Jones will be available in this space for years to come.

Lastly, I want to thank the people who helped bring the vision to life. The designers, architects, engineers, laborers, and our Director of Infrastructure Management Martin Daley for moving everyone toward the finish line together. Our partners in government — President Biden, VP Harris, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, State Senator Fahy, Assemblymember Romero, and our Common Council — for providing the various funding and borrowing capacity through the American Rescue Plan and other initiatives to pay for this $20 million investment. And our incredible team at City Hall across the Departments of Administrative Services, Treasury, and Audit who budgeted, evaluated, and processed payments for this transformational project.

I encourage everyone to visit Albany West, check out all the programming available, and tell ten people about it. We need to ensure our entire city, no matter what neighborhood you live in, knows about this incredible resource available to everyone, in a neighborhood that refused to be forgotten about.

More info about Albany West: https://www.albanyny.govAlbanyWest

More photos from the ribbon cutting: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/161rdW_uupN8JtRysA3bMxq_-4HhDHnE8?usp=share_linkto

12/25/2025

For my final time as Mayor: Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

🎄✨ I’m filled with gratitude for the warmth and unity our community brings. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season filled with love, laughter, and shared moments. 🌟🎁

12/24/2025

It might be Christmas Eve, but we still have a city to run!

Thank you to the tireless crew at for quickly arriving to a water main break at the Townsend Apartments at 45 Central Avenue. I have been in communication with AWD, AFD, APD, and Albany Housing Authority leadership and we will bring every available resource to bear to get the water service restored as soon as possible.

12/24/2025

Councilmember Richard Conti, Mayor-Elect Dorcey Applyrs, and I celebrated the enactment of Local Law B — enshrining “Civil Inclusion and Rights Protection” into the City of Albany Charter.

This change affirms Albany’s commitment to being a welcoming and equitable municipality free from discrimination while promoting the principles of inclusitiy and equal protection. As a city that received a 100 on its most recent Human Rights Campaign score, this is yet another example of our commitment to protecting every resident.

This is also the culmination of years of work: from the equity agenda I proposed when I first became Mayor in 2014, to then-Councilmember Applyrs’ codification of an equity agenda with reporting metrics in 2019, to now having a commitment to equity enshrined in our guiding document, the City Charter. I am proud we are continuously building on our city’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and welcome every day.

We also signed Resoultion 139.121.25R into law — redesignating the interior space of Albany City Hall from the City Hall Rotunda to the City Hall Atrium.

A pet peeve of Councilmember Conti, our Deputy Corporation Counsel Brett Williams, and others has been there’s nothing actually round about our rotunda. It’s rectangular, with natural light from above, and surrounded by corridors — the spot-on definition of an atrium. A rotunda, conversely, is a circular room beneath a dome, often enclosed, all things our interior space is not.

In a city rich with history, it’s important to get ours right, and I appreciate Councilmember Conti for correcting this once and for all.