Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs is defending her decision to attend a conference in Puerto Rico while the city works to pass a balanced budget.
Applyrs and two members of the Albany Common Council — Majority Leader Alfredo Balarin and Majority Whip Owusu Anane — attended the annual Somos conference in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan from Wednesday to Saturday.
"[Somos] brings state leaders together, not just for networking, but for conducting business," Applyrs said in an interview Monday. "Also, we have an influx of new leadership coming in to state positions, and so it's imperative as the mayor of this city that I am represented there, but also to continue to build relationships and rapport with my colleagues across the state as I do my part to advocate for our constituents across the City of Albany."
Attendees at this year's conference — an annual gathering for New York Democrats — included Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York State Attorney General Letitia James and members of the New York State Legislature.
"No taxpayer funds were used for travel, accommodations or any other conference-related expense," Applyrs administration spokesperson Zipporah Hommel said in a statement.
Applyrs' comments come after Albany Common Council member Deirdre Brodie criticized Applyrs for attending Somos on social media, accusing the mayor of "partying in Puerto Rico" while the city takes out a "payday loan" of $10 million to cover expenses through the end of the year.
"The need for conferences, education and networking is paramount — no question about that," Brodie said in an interview Monday. "Does it need to happen on a Caribbean island when the city is facing an unprecedented structural deficit and ongoing doubts about whether we can pay our bills? That's where my questions come in."
