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Democratic candidate for Mayor, Dan Cerutti, pledged a commitment to a culture of service, government transparency, and accountability as Sunshine Week approaches.

Now in its twentieth year, the non-partisan Sunshine Week (March 16-22) is a national movement promoted by civic and news organizations and guided by the notion that government functions best when operating in the open. It coincides with the birthday of President James Madison, and recognizes his leadership and involvement in the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

”The spirit of Sunshine Week should be the norm,” Cerutti said.

“One of the central pillars of my campaign is a pledge to create a Culture of Service, one that never forgets elected officials and public employees are in place to serve Albany,” Cerutti continued. “Every organization I have ever led was focused on results and being dedicated to those we served. I believe those principles are essential values for those committed to public service.”

Among Sunshine Week’s objectives are to highlight the need for open government; strengthen democracy; and encourage action and accountability.

“Any citizen or business requesting a permit, reporting a pothole, or asking for a public record should be greeted with an attitude of service, rather than an administration of regulation,” Cerutti said.

Transparency is the first step in recognizing issues so they can be addressed, he commented. Rather than being proactive in investigating potential issues, we at times avoid confronting an obvious challenge. One example is the prolonged alleged improprieties by a Water Department employee that surfaced in 2023 stemming from citizen complaints and a Sheriff’s Department investigation, not internal discovery or an audit.

Cerutti praised the Albany Common Council Ethics Committee for initiating and conducting a public hearing that exposed allegations by city employees of discrimination, sexual harassment, mishandled complaints, bribery, retaliation and other offenses. “Unfortunately, rumblings of disturbing behavior and a flawed grievance process existed for years without any substantive inquiry, or concrete internal action.” Cerutti said.

More recently, a visible matter that appears to warrant scrutiny are the circumstances and issues surrounding the long-delayed apartment complex at 1211 Western Avenue, a project in which the city authorized a significant number of variances despite fierce internal debate and community opposition. It is noteworthy an apartment complex on Washington Avenue, now facing default, at one point shared common ownership with 1211 Western.

“Awareness and advocacy for Albany taxpayers merits a dose of sunshine.” Cerutti said, paraphrasing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.

Cerutti said that as Mayor he will follow a career practice of conducting regular operational reviews of all departments to ensure that agencies follow standard and appropriate practices and are held accountable.

“It is a generally accepted practice of well-run organizations to be subject to independent assessment. My administration will respect the independent nature of the audit process while embracing it as an essential tool to discover issues, find solutions, and seek ways to continuously improve city function,” Cerutti concluded.

Contact: News@DanForAlbany.com