NY Lawmakers Approve Gov. Cuomo’s Pick For MTA Chairman

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — State lawmakers have confirmed Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nomination of former New York City mayoral candidate Joseph Lhota (LOH'-tuh) as the next leader of the troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The Democratic governor nominated the 62-year-old Lhota as MTA chairman Wednesday and the Republican-controlled Senate approved the appointment late Wednesday night before adjourning for the summer.

Lhota returns to the leadership post at the nation's largest public transportation agency, where he served as chairman and CEO from October 2011 to December 2012. He resigned for an unsuccessfully run for New York City mayor as a Republican.

Cuomo says Lhota's salary will be $1 per year and he'll delegate the CEO duties to a permanent executive director.

The governor says Lhota will continue serving as senior vice president, vice dean and chief of staff at Manhattan-based NYU Langone Medical Center.