: 1182538875

The MTA will soon have a new chairman, but don’t expect to see any rapid changes in the near future.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer nominated H. Dale Hemmerdinger on Monday to be the new head of the MTA. The nomination must be approved before the senate adjourns for its summer break next week.

Hemmerdinger, the President of Atco Properties and Management, which owns the Shops At Atlas Park in Glendale – not to mention 2 million square feet of additional residential, commercial, industrial and retail space – is ecstatic about the opportunity, but will take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to any policy upheaval.

“I don’t have an answer that is very satisfying yet,” Hemmerdinger said when asked about what changes he foresees. “I’m not there yet. I don’t want to comment on policy matters. That’s something I get to as I learn the job and learn what’s necessary.”

One issue Hemmerdinger was open about was fares. He explained that “keeping them affordable” is in everyone’s best interest and that’s what he hopes to do.

“Nobody wants to raise fares, but the price of oil goes up, the labor costs go up,” he said. “It’s the world we live in. Our job is to keep them as affordable as possible.”

Still, while he was chairman of the Citizens Budget Commission, the group made recommendations on how to balance the MTA’s budget, including higher fares for riders and more tolls and fees for motorists, published reports said.

Published reports also said that Hemmerdinger’s wife has given $40,000 to Spitzer campaign committees since 2000. She also hosted a Democratic Party fund-raiser at the Hemmerdingers’ Central Park South penthouse in May.

Hemmerdinger would replace Peter Kalikow, who made policy and strategic decisions, and was the public face of the authority. Kalikow, also a real estate developer from Queens, was largely blamed for the MTA’s misuse of funds after a $600 million surplus was found following a rate hike.

MTA officials have said the next chairman will have a lesser role due to legislative reforms enacted in 2005 that restructured the roles of the chairman and executive director. The chairman still oversees monthly meetings of the board, and the board must approve budgets, including possible fare hikes, labor contracts and other business and policy matters.

Hemmerdinger stressed that he will have to feel around before making any rash policy changes.

“What [Gov. Spitzer] is expecting is the normal role of the board, which is oversight of the MTA to make sure that the services of the MTA to the public are safe, efficient, and affordable,” he said.

When asked about the MTA’s prior misappropriation of funds, Hemmerdinger said the MTA is a “very complicated, big organization. I didn’t know for example that its budget is twice as big as the Port Authority. It’s a very big complicated agency that does many things.”

“I don’t think they were cooking the books or hiding anything, it’s just that the nature of accounting is that it’s very complicated,” he said. “When you get into something like MTA or government, how you do it becomes very complicated. It’s not easy to understand.”

Hemmerdinger, 62, who spends several days a week at Atlas Park, has known the governor for almost 30 years, saying they likely met on the tennis courts. They have a long-standing relationship, and though he wouldn’t speculate on policy, he said one of his goals is to inform riders of the MTA’s responsibilities so that they can better understand the services afforded.

“Education of the public is what one needs to do,” Hemmerdinger said. “To have people understand as best they can what the MTA does and how it’s funded. I think there is a lot of misinformation about that. The more people know, the more they understand.”

“I think it’s really neat,” he added. “How often do you get a chance to help 2 billion-plus riders every year? What a great way to help your fellow human beings. I think it’s great to be in a position to do that. My only job is to do good for the riders.”