Cuomo’s plan to restructure top MTA jobs falters before Legislature for second time this week

Gov. Cuomo’s revamped plan to restructure the leadership of the MTA and install ally Sarah Feinberg as chairwoman stalled Thursday for the second time this week.

A new proposal that includes Cuomo’s original plan to split the roles of MTA chairman and MTA chief executive officer became a major point of contention during the final day of the legislative session.

The Senate would have confirmation power over both jobs, said a legislative source. Under Cuomo’s original plan earlier this week, the Senate only had confirmation power over the chairman’s job.

Still, the Democratic-led Senate adjourned for the year shortly after 9 p.m. without taking a vote on the measure. It was expected to pass the Assembly late Thursday.

Cuomo’s attempt to restructure the agency’s top leadership came a day after he rescinded his plan to split the roles of MTA chairman and chief executive, which by law are now one position. Cuomo also proposed giving himself sole power to appoint the MTA’s chief executive.

The current MTA chairman and CEO, Pat Foye, had to be confirmed by the state Senate to both jobs.

Cuomo’s original plan was to appoint NYC Transit chief Sarah Feinberg as chair name current MTA chief development officer Janno Lieber hold the title of the MTA’s CEO. Lieber would have overseen the MTA’s daily operations and “serve at the pleasure of the governor.”

Lawmakers on Wednesday cited a lack of support from transit labor unions as a key reason Cuomo’s original plan was pulled.

John Samuelsen, president of Transport Workers Union, which represents a majority of the MTA’s workforce said he is still not behind Cuomo’s latest proposal.

“From a governance perspective, Senate approval is an absolute necessity,” Samuelsen said. “But operationally there is still no basis for this change. We are rapidly emerging from the pandemic crisis and we cannot afford any potentially disruptive changes right now.”

Cuomo on Tuesday said Foye would be appointed interim president of the Empire State Development Corporation effective July 30.

Foye’s choice to leave the MTA’s top job was not his own, according to a source with knowledge of the decision.

“The governor wanted to go in a different direction,” the source said.

Feinberg has also told Cuomo she plans to move on from her job running NYC Transit by the end of July whether or not she is nominated as chair, MTA sources said.

A Legislative source said the Senate could reconvene later in the month to address the plan and hold confirmation hearings for the MTA positions.

Since the reworked bill was being submitted on the last day of the legislative session, Cuomo had to send a “message of necessity” required by the state Constitution to allow a vote so close to the end of the legislative session.

Insiders said legislative leaders were willing to cut the deal with the governor, who was largely absent from end-of-session negotiations, since they needed an additional message of necessity to pass a bill known as “Clean Slate.”

The bill, which would seal criminal records after a set period of time, failed to come up for a vote after technical drafting errors.

The 11th hour negotiations came months after Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and other prominent fellow Dems called on Cuomo to resign over sexual harassment allegations.

The Assembly, meanwhile, is conducting an impeachment inquiry into the governor’s behavior and other scandals surrounding the administration that have also prompted ongoing state and federal probes.

Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.

One Albany insider said, despite his troubles and fractured relationships, the MTA restructure and judicial nominations were major wins for Cuomo as fights to maintain a sense of normalcy.

“What he wanted this year, he got,” they said.