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Albany Common Council
Message from the President
Hon. Kelly Kimbrough
Welcome to the Albany Common Council which serves New York's capital city!
I and the fifteen members of the Common Council are proud to represent the citizens of Albany. As elected officials, we know it is our duty to serve our constituents to the best of our ability, as well as to preserve, protect, and improve the quality of life for city residents.
As president, I place a great deal of importance on governing in a manner that is both open and transparent. My goal is to facilitate discussion that results in good governance. Broadly defined, good governance includes the ability to bring innovative solutions to long established challenges and create effective partnerships with all communities in our diverse city. Effective partnerships are characterized by government empowering individuals and groups to step forward and dedicate themselves and their ideas to wrestling with and solving the challenges we may face now and in the future. Your participation is vital to accomplishing our goals. I hope you will work with your Common Council by attending our meetings as well as committee meetings. Join us in ensuring that balance exists; one that has at its core the best interests of residents, businesses, and all who have a reason to experience what Albany offers. Should you have questions or need additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us.
— Common Council President Kelly Kimbrough
Office of the Common Council
For information on upcoming Council meetings and functions, contact the office here:
Phone: 518-434-5087
Email: commoncouncil@albanyny.gov
For constituent concerns, please reach out to your council member here: Common Council Members & Wards
Find Us on Social Media
Overview
In accordance with the City Charter, Albany is divided into 15 legislative districts or wards. Each ward is represented by a City resident who is elected by their constituency to serve a four-year term. Collectively the elected ward representatives and the Common Council President comprise the Common Council, which serves as the legislative branch of Albany's government.
Each councilmember functions to regulate and protect the interests of residents within their ward, and is authorized to introduce, adopt, amend or repeal local laws, ordinances, resolutions and regulations pertaining to property and government affairs within the City.
Ward boundaries are established by the Common Council. On February 21, 2013, the Common Council voted in favor of the current ward boundaries as proposed by the 2011-2012 Reapportionment Commission. The Reapportionment Commission formed again in 2022 to reevaluate the ward boundaries. Their proposed boundaries were approved on March 20, 2023 and will take effect for the 2025 election. These boundaries have been adjusted to best represent protected groups and communities of interest per the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census.
To organize their work, councilmembers elect a President Pro Tempore and a Majority Leader. Along with the Common Council President, these officers comprise Common Council leadership. For more information on leadership and to find your councilmember, please visit the following pages or click their photo below:
Meet the Council Members
(Click a councilmember's photo for more information)
Hon. John Williamson
Hon. Derek Johnson
Hon. Arthur Lumpkin
Hon. Lormenzo Jones
Hon. Mark Robinson
Hon. Deirdre Brodie
Hon. Sergio Adams
Hon. Jack Flynn
Hon. Meghan Keegan
Hon. Owusu Anane
Hon. Alfredo Balarin
Hon. Rachel Powell
Hon. Ginnie Farrell
Hon. Deborah Zamer
Hon. Thomas Hoey
Standard Record of Activities
In accordance with Regulation 315.4 (c) of the New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations (NYCRR) elected and appointed officials are required to report their Standard Record of Activities (ROA). As required, the ROA will be posted for a minimum of 30 days.
Caucus & Regular Meeting
The Common Council meets on the first and third Mondays at 6:30 PM caucus and 7:00 PM regular meeting each month in the Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall (Note: when Monday falls on a legal holiday or day of special observance, the Council meeting is ordinarily moved to the following Thursday).
The Common Council also meets for a caucus on Wednesday during the week prior to each regular meeting. These caucuses are scheduled for 5:30 PM and include a discussion of the upcoming agenda and miscellaneous business.
Basic operating procedures for these meetings and more can be seen in the Rules of Procedure .
§ 34-4 Videoconferencing
In addition to the City of Albany's Common Council, all public bodies of the City of Albany are authorized to use videoconferencing technology to conduct their meetings in accordance with the provisions of section 103-a of the Public Officers Law . In June of 2022 the Albany Common Council passed Local Law E of 2022 which established rules for public bodies of the City of Albany to follow should members need to participate in a meeting via videoconferencing.
The public still has the right to attend virtually and we will continue to live-stream meetings to allow for virtual participation. Our goal is to continue to make the legislative process transparent and accessible and we will continue live streaming on the Common Council Facebook page and/or the Common Council YouTube Page. Your patience, participation, and commitment to local government is greatly appreciated.
Agendas, Minutes & Meeting Documents
Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.
View Agendas with Support Legislations, Active Calendar and Minutes
2026 Standing Calendar
| Common Council Regular Meeting 7:00 PM (Caucus: 6:30 PM) Council Chambers, 2nd Floor | Common Council Caucus/Work Session 5:30 PM Council Chambers, 2nd Floor |
|---|---|
| January 5 | January 14 |
| January 22 (Thursday) | January 28 |
| February 2 | February 11 |
| February 19 (Thursday) | February 25 |
| March 5 (Thursday) | March 11 |
| March 16 | [Canceled] April 1 |
| April 6 | April 15 |
| April 20 | April 29 |
| May 4 | May 13 |
| May 18 | [Canceled] May 27 |
| June 1 | June 10 |
| June 15 | July 1 |
| July 6 | July 15 |
| July 20 | July 29 |
| August 3 | August 12 |
| August 17 | September 2 |
| September 10 (Thursday) | September 16 |
| September 21 | September 30 |
| October 5 | October 14 |
| October 19 | October 28 |
| November 2 | [Canceled] November 1 |
| November 16 | December 2 |
| December 7 | December 16 |
| December 21 |
Public Comment Submission Information
The Albany Common Council encourages members of the public to provide public comment and provides this online public comment form to facilitate communication between constituents and the Council. Those wishing to speak before the Council will be called on a first-come, first-serve basis. In order to be fair and courteous to all speakers, please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Online requests to provide in-person public comment must be submitted by 6:00 PM the day of a regular meeting, or more than 30 minutes prior to the noticed start time for all other meetings, to be included in that meeting's list of speakers. Physical sign-up sheets are available in the Council Chambers that may be submitted shortly before the meeting start time.
- Proceed to the public speaker seat in a timely manner (a microphone may be provided to accommodate those with mobility concerns). Your time will be deemed forfeited if your name is called twice and there is no response.
- Plan for your comments to fit in a three- to five-minute window. Depending on public turnout, the time allotted to speakers may be reduced to three minutes per person to accommodate as many speakers as possible. This can only be determined once all public speaker sign-ups are collected at the start of the meeting.
- Be mindful of maintaining decorum in the Chambers while providing public comment.
Please note:
- Copies of written comments are shared with each councilmember prior to each meeting.
- Names and addresses of public speakers are recorded in the minutes.