The city of Saratoga Springs Board of Ethics has ruled that former Saratoga Springs Public Works Commissioner Hank Kuczynski improperly directed a city employee to perform political work on his behalf while she was being paid by the city.
The decision came in response to a complaint I made to the Board in April of 2025. That was almost a full year ago. The complaint was addressed only after city planner Susan Barden, who chaired the board, resigned and a new chair, Sara Nucera, was appointed. Why the committee under Barden delayed action for so long is unknown, as the Ethics Board’s deliberations are carried out in executive session.
Readers will remember that in the fall of 2024,Kuczynski failed to submit the required paperwork on time to secure the Democratic line for the Commissioner of Public Works position on the ballot in a special election. He subsequently ran a write-in campaign. Kuczynski directed his administrative assistant to assist him in scrutinizing the ballots as they were counted at the Board of Elections in Ballston Spa for two days. His assistant submitted time cards for this period to the city for payment, and Kuczynski signed the cards authorizing her payment.
I am glad to have finally received a decision, and I appreciate the ethics board’s work in confirming my complaint. Using city resources for campaigning is clearly improper. I hope this will discourage such behavior in the future. Kuczynski clearly violated the trust of the people of our city.
Douments
Saratoga Springs Politics 