Albany County, New York

Today, we don’t just look backward at the pages of history; but dedicate ourselves to the unfinished business of our time and continue to carry the torch that those before us in public service did so well and so proudly. Nearly thirty years ago, a journey of service began as Daniel P. McCoy was elected as a County Legislator. Albany County called upon a leader to forge a new path—not of soft ease, but of hard responsibility. Dan McCoy answered that call. Serving for 12 years in the Legislature, with the last term as Chairman, and nearly 15 years as County Executive for Albany County, New York.

From his earliest days presiding over the chambers of our County Legislature to his steady hand as your Chief Executive, Dan McCoy has understood a fundamental truth: that government must be as robust as our challenges, yet as prudent as our means.

A Decade of Fiscal Responsibility

For over ten consecutive years, this administration has done what the skeptics said could not be done. Year after year, the tax rate has been lowered. This is not fiscal arithmetic; it is a moral commitment. It is the conviction that the rewards of an honest day’s labor belong first and foremost to the families who earn them.

As President John F. Kennedy once reminded our nation: “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.”

In Albany County, that resource has been guarded with fierce fidelity. We have balanced our ledgers without breaking our promises. We have proven that economic strength and human compassion are not opposing forces, but twin engines of the same great endeavor.

The Engines of New Growth

To ensure our progress is enduring, this administration looked to the future of our local marketplace. We created a historic engine for prosperity: the Advance Albany County Alliance. This initiative became our ultimate catalyst for growth, uniting public initiative with private enterprise to create jobs, secure business retention, and breathe new life into our local commerce.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

Through bold leadership, we built an economy robust enough to keep anchor innovators like Plug Power right here in Albany County, while driving critical investments into major infrastructure projects like the historic Erie Canal Lock One restoration. We have proven that when a government invests in its people, the return on that investment is limitless.

Conserving Our Natural Frontiers

But true prosperity is measured by more than columns of figures; it is found in the health, happiness, and shared life of our neighborhoods. To that end, this administration took the historic step of recreating the Department of Recreation. We did so with an unyielding mandate: to remove the barriers to opportunity by launching completely free programming tailored to our children, our adults, and our cherished seniors.

We have thrown open the doors to the breathtaking natural frontiers of our region, inviting both residents and visitors to explore the treasures of our geography. Look across Albany County and you will see the results of this grand design:

• The pristine waters and rescued wilderness of Lawson Lake

• The vibrant, re-engineered waterfront in Albany

• The fully restored, beating heart of the Cohoes Community Center

• The scenic, protected acreage of the historic Switzkill Farm

These are no longer remote sanctuaries; they are open common spaces belonging to every citizen.

Courage in the Face of Decay

Nowhere has the courage of this executive been more tested— or more triumphant—than in the heart of our capital city. When the historic College of Saint Rose collapsed into bankruptcy and closed its doors, a shadow of decay and deterioration threatened the Pine Hills neighborhood. Where others saw an irreversible crisis, Dan McCoy saw a civic obligation.

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource."

Stepping into the breach, he orchestrated a rescue plan to save the campus. By bringing these properties under strategic county stewardship, this administration successfully preserved 70 acres of vital city land from abandonment. This saved space is now being transformed into a vibrant engine of county programming and neighborhood revitalization.

The Calling of Our Compassion

Let it be said of this generation in Albany County that when our healthcare workers stood on the frontlines, we did not meet them with empty praise. We met them with real justice. By fully subsidizing day care for the dedicated public servants at our county nursing home, this administration ensured that those who shield our elders from winter’s chill could know that their own children were safe in the warmth of our care.

President Barack Obama captured this spirit of mutual responsibility when he observed:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Dan McCoy did not wait. He became that change.

A National Voice for Local Progress

The impact of this leadership can no longer be contained within the borders of the Capital Region. Today, from the shores of Long Island to the halls of Washington, Dan McCoy stands as a national beacon of governance. As President of the County Executives of America (CEA), member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and past president of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), his voice is the voice of local progress across the length and breadth of this republic.

The New Frontier Ahead

In Albany County New York, the torch of leadership burns as brightly as ever; as we have Dan McCoy eagerly, proudly, and courageously accepting the duties of the great leaders before him and continue to serve the public good and carry the torch. The challenges of the next frontier await us, but we do not fear them. We welcome them. Guided by three decades of proven fiscal integrity, tenacity and enduring compassion, let us take the next step forward together.