The Democratic mayor of New York's capital gave a confusing and vague response when asked how she will address a significant deficit in the city's budget.
At a press conference on Friday, Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs warned that the city is currently facing a $15million shortfall, with that number projected to balloon to $22million in the 2026 fiscal year.
Applyrs, who is facing scrutiny just three months into her term over perceived fiscal irresponsibility, said that she has taken measures such as issuing a hiring freeze, limiting travel and equipment purchases and reducing non-emergency overtime.
But some, including city officials and members of the city council, have criticized the mayor for approving salary increases - including an 11 percent bump for herself, from about $144,000 to $160,000.
During the press conference on Friday, a reporter asked Applyrs, 'Looking long-term, what structural changes need to happen to prevent Albany from facing similar financial issues again?'
'That's a great question,' the mayor replied, 'and that's why we're pulling together that team - that interdepartmental team that will really go under the hood, open up the cabinets, really get into the weeds on our budget, the process, some of our systems.'
She continued, 'It is government. There's a lot of bureaucracy. A lot of systems, and sometimes those systems do not work. And so you have to get under the hood to first understand what's not working.
'And so that team, in short order, will start the process of examining all of those things to then in turn provide me with recommendations on how we improve those systems to prevent something like this from happening moving forward.'
Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs is pictured giving a long-winded and vague answer to a reporter's question during a press conference about the city's budget deficit
Albany, the capital of New York State, is currently facing a $15million budget shortfall that is projected to grow to $22million in the 2026 fiscal year. Pictured: The city of Albany
Three months into her term, Mayor Applyrs has been criticized for perceived fiscal irresponsibility, such as approving raises to elected officials including herself
The mayor's long-winded attempt at an answer did not address concerns that have been put forward by other city officials in regard to salary increases and similar questions about public spending.
The mayor's office has said that Applyrs's raise and those of other government employees fell in line with the range approved in the city's 2026 budget.
In that budget, a total of $135,000 was allocated for raises to the salaries of elected officials, which means that the mayor's $16,000 pay bump amounted to about 12 percent of the sum that was set aside.
The city treasurer and city auditor each received pay bumps of about $20,000, while other elected officials saw more modest increases.
At a city council hearing on February 19, Councilmember Deirdre Brodie said: 'We need to know that we can afford these salary raises this year, and how we are affording them in the future.
'The fact that this bill (for pay raises) was put forth within days of starting the fiscal year gives me very little confidence that these unsustainable increases will slow.'
Other examples of Albany's public spending that have been scrutinized include $1,800 that was spent on life-sized vinyl record–themed handouts for the State of the City address, as well as funds spent on the mayor's recent trip to Baltimore.
Applyrs said that officials who went on that trip paid out of pocket, and the purpose of the visit was to learn how to reduce youth and adult violence.
Albany Councilmember Deirdre Brodie is among city officials who have criticized the public spending of Applyrs's administration, particularly regarding salary raises
Mayor Applyrs has pointed to broader economic trends, such as inflation, higher interest rates and reduced federal support as reasons for the budget deficit
The mayor was previously Albany's city auditor, and at the press conference, she was asked if she knew about the fiscal crisis before taking office.
She replied with another winding answer, 'I would say as someone who served as the city auditor, having access to all of the information - this is not something that a city auditor, given the responsibilities per the city code, that I would have seen.'
Applyrs has defended her administration's spending decisions and has pointed to broader economic trends for contributing to the budget deficit.
Inflation, rising interest rates and reduced federal support have all played a role, she said.
A spokesperson for Albany mayor's office told the Daily Mail: 'Mayor Applyrs has pulled together a team to conduct a thorough review of City operations and spending patterns, identifying where responsible reductions can be made.
'Meetings with department leads have begun. Additional efforts include a hiring freeze and a pause in non-essential spending.
'These measures are a proactive response to Albany's fiscal reality. The Mayor's priorities remain to protect essential services for residents while strengthening Albany's financial future.'
