Author: John Kaufmann

Up until now, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee has been mounting a focused attack on only one proposed charter change, the one that would affect the wording regarding the city’s County Supervisors. In a recent email to the four Saratoga Springs City Council members endorsed by One Saratoga and the chair and vice chair of One Saratoga, Democrat County Supervisor and Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee member Sarah Burger, however, expanded the attack by warning them all to stay out of charter change altogether. In the meantime, Democrat Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati, who had at a previous meeting suggested charter change language to the Supervisors that gained the support of all his fellow Council members, flipped his position and embraced the new Democratic position laid out by Burger: sending all charter changes to referendum. The problem for Burger, Keramati, and the Democratic Committee is that New York state law is very specific about what can and cannot go to a referendum.

Sarah Burger’s Email

On May 31, 2026, Sarah Burger sent an email to the sitting Council members who were endorsed by One Saratoga, along with two members of One Saratoga’s leadership.

The email is poorly written and poorly researched. It apparently serves several purposes, including ingratiating herself with the leadership of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. The criticism of her by members of the Committee for taking the One Saratoga line in the last election was unrelenting, and apparently, she is seeking to ingratiate herself with them again.

Last year, Mayor Safford established a charter commission with two missions: one was to present to the Council changes that could be adopted by the City Council, and secondly, to present further changes that would have to be approved by referendum in November as laid out in Sections 23 and 24 of the New York State Municipal Home Rule Law. The committee is bipartisan, and many members have served the city in various capacities. The commission is chaired by former City Attorney Vince DeLeonardis. They delivered their proposals, which could be adopted by the Council at the close of 2025, and the Council has been reviewing and discussing them over the past few months. In a previous post, I wrote about the phony issue Gordon Boyd created about proposed language regarding the city supervisors. Sarah Burger has now taken the Democrats’ attack to a higher level.

In her email, Ms. Berger bizarrely warns the recipients that it will be “political suicide” for them to involve themselves in the “formation of our governing document.” She goes on to claim that some of the proposals “require (her word) a public referendum.” Ms. Burger is an attorney. I wrote to Ms. Burger asking: given all the restrictions in New York regarding when referenda can be used, which provisions in the proposed charter changes she referenced in her email would allow for a referendum on it, let alone mandate one, and which statute she draws on to support her claim. She did not respond. I wrote her a follow-up request, which was similarly ignored.

Unlike California, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon, New York State severely restricts the use of referendums, so it is unclear what she believes can go to a referendum and what the basis of her claim is

Regrettably, as noted earlier, I believe that the purpose of Ms. Burger’s email was political rather than a serious attempt to assist the city and One Saratoga. In order to ingratiate herself with the leadership of the city’s Democratic Committee, she is stirring the proverbial pot.

Ms. Berger is shrewd enough to know that the Commissioners she emailed will not abrogate their authority. Her help is disingenuous. Her main goal seems to be to provide as large a platform as possible for the Democratic Committee to muddy the waters as part of a strategy to discredit Mayor Safford’s commission. Her praise for the commission at the beginning of the last Council meeting, followed by her attempt to discredit their work, was striking in its disconnect.

Her email appears below.

BK Keramati Flips, Then He Flops, And Then He Flips Again

Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati initially opposed changing the language in the charter to address a technical issue regarding our representation to the county. Then he switched, acknowledged the value of the change, and agreed to it, offering his own language. This was documented in a previous post.

At the June 1 City Council pre-agenda meeting, he switched yet again, adopting Sarah Burger’s new narrative.

He seems, like Sarah, to be ignorant of state law on referenda and advocated putting all the individual charter proposal items, particularly the one dealing with Supervisors, on the Council’s ballots to let the public pick and choose, a practice that state law very narrowly limits. Clearly, the local Democratic Committee put the heat on Keramati to follow the new party line.

City Attorney Tony Izzo took the mic and tried to help Keramati understand the law. It is not clear that Keramati grasps what Tony is trying to explain to him.

Berger’s Letter

Sarah Burger <>
Date: May 31, 2026, at 10:12:48 AM EDT
To: Courtney DeLeonardis <>, Jessica Troisi <>, Tim Coll <>, John Safford <>, JoAnne Kiernan <>, Jeffrey Partridge <>
Subject: Charter amendments

Good morning,

Ive given some thought to the proposed charter amendments that are before the council and overall while substantively I may agree with some of them I think the council voting on process for city elections, this supervisor issue, for example, is political suicide for One Saratoga.

There is simply no reason for you all to insert yourselves as elected officials in the formation of our governing document. This is an unforced error.

I firmly believe some of this requires public referendum and taking the voice of the voters away in amending our governing document for these type of substantive changes may down the road fly back on you.

I very strongly urge you to consider sending all proposed amendments to the voters. I want to see you all be successful in the things you are doing as council members. This does not need to be around your necks politically.

Just my two cents.

PS I think the best answer may be as my father always said “when you do not have to do something, do nothing.”

Thanks for reading.

Sent from my iPhone
Sarah J. Burger, Esq.

The Saratoga Springs City Council on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, will consider a resolution to deny payment of former Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub’s legal bills. Golub had city DPW employees work on a drain at a rental property Golub owned. The employees were operating on city time, using city equipment, and city materials. The criminal case against Golub was dismissed on a technicality with the charging document.

The resolution (below) is devastating. The key issue is that the city’s indemnity law is meant to protect elected officials from lawsuits growing out of something they did during the performance of their official duties. By his own statements, it is documented that Golub was operating as a private citizen with a plumbing problem on a property he owned when he had the city’s employees do the work.

Pages 2, 3, and 4 of the Resolution

Lew’s First Email To Saratoga Springs Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati

From: Lew Benton <l>
Date: Wed, May 20, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Subject: Congress Park Veterans Walk Condition
To: BK Keramati <>
CC: John Safford <>, JoAnne Kiernan <>, Tim Coll <>, Jessica Troisi <>, Matthew Veitch <>

Commissioner,

This year, as last and with Memorial Day around the corner, I ask PW to repoint the granite curbing flanking the Veterans Walk in Congress Park. Bricks should be power washed.

The attached photos taken today clearly show the Walk’s state of disrepair.

Last year I made the same suggestion to the then commissioner. Regrettably it was ignored. In the interim the Walk’s condition has further deteriorated. 

Ultimately all bricks should be removed, thoroughly cleaned and relaid on an appropriate level base allowing good drainage. Engraved bricks no longer legible should be replaced.

I am confident that many who are named on the Walk, their families and others would gladly help underwrite the improvements.

Hundreds of the community members names and service dates are inscribed on the Walk.  Some  attest to the multi-generational service of Saratoga families and to those KIA.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Lew Benton

Lew’s Second Email

To:BK Keramati

From: Lew Benton

Commissioner,

Several days ago I sent via email photographs of the deteriorated condition of the Veterans Walk.

Perhaps you did not receive my note. So here again are some recent photos.  I hope they will encourage PW to initiate the necessary improvements: i.e., granite curbing repointing, brick cleaning and leveling, replacement of worn bricks and those with illegible names.

I noted in my original email that the same request had been made last year prior to Memorial 

Day but no action was taken. I trust you agree that the current condition is untenable and an affront to those whose service is memorialized there. 

Thank you.

L. Benton

Lew’s Third Email

Commissioner (BK),

Thank you for your response to my recent emails detailing the deteriorating condition of the Veterans Walk in Congress Park.

I appreciate your comments regarding budget constraints. It’s a never-ending battle.  And I am well aware that the current City budget, as those of the last three or four years, is likely to be in deficit.  In fact, the Council should have been well aware that the 2026 budget advanced by Finance was seriously out of balance.

However, as I mentioned in my initial note, I see no reason why the repointing of the granite curbs lining the walk and  removing, cleaning and relaying the bricks could not be done by force account or city labor. While labor intensive, I doubt that there would be any material costs.

I note that the 2026 Park and Casio Operating Budget includes $370.009 for labor, $15,000

for “Other Supplies,” $8,500 for “Landscaping” and $5,000 for “Professional Services.” Is there nothing to be found in these lines and other PW operating lines that could be transferred to the 

Veterans Walk budget account?

And regrettably the Veterans Walk operating line has been zeroed out.  That is all the more disturbing because the Walk’s current advanced stage of deterioration has been well known for some time. 

In my nearly 40 years experience in local, county and state  government and eight years on the City Council, I know even in the leanest of times there is $ to be found to address such needs. This is particularly true if the need is real, low cost, and the proposed improvement would remove, as in this case, a rather ugly blemish and a potential trip hazard. Of course not to finally act degrades the service of those whose names are inscribed in the Walk and mirrors the neglect of other Park amenities such as the Reservoir.

Finally, and as I mentioned in my initial email, I’m sure that private donations earmarked exclusively for Walk restoration would be made available if requested. And I am certain that some veterans and others would be willing to solicit same.

Lew Benton

7110 PARK & CASINO

A3537111 51900 LABORER 297,177.02 382,900.00 393,484.81 319,346.85 393,484.81 328,715.00 ________

A3537111 51960 OVERTIME 24,709.26 12,000.00 22,148.26 24,137.92 12,803.13 15,000.00 ________

A3537111 58030 SS CITY PO 23,873.23 30,209.85 30,209.85 25,734.42 30,209.85 26,294.20 ________

TOTAL PARK & CASINO 345,759.51 425,109.85 445,842.92 369,219.19 436,497.79 370,009.20 ________

7110 PARK & CASINO

A3537114 54110 OFFICE SUP 296.55 200.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 .00 ________

A3537114 54140 JANIT SUPP 6,910.18 4,500.00 6,195.25 6,195.25 4,500.00 4,500.00 ________

A3537114 54160 UNIFORMS 3,978.25 4,800.00 4,400.00 5,211.42 5,211.47 6,000.00 ________

A3537114 54180 OTHER SUPP 30,297.00 18,000.00 21,148.00 21,147.74 19,500.00 15,000.00 ________

A3537114 54320 TOOLS 198.98 150.00 150.00 28.49 150.00 .00 ________

A3537114 54330 REP MAN EQ 6,196.00 5,000.00 1,988.27 1,984.30 2,500.00 3,000.00 ________

A3537114 54510 REP MAN VE 2,000.00 1,250.00 1,250.00 1,245.76 1,250.00 2,000.00 ________

A3537114 54610 REP MAN BU 25,731.39 24,000.00 25,058.48 25,585.50 24,527.02 24,000.00 ________

A3537114 54650 UTILITIES 57,760.36 60,000.00 67,900.00 67,859.48 60,000.00 65,000.00 ________

A3537114 54670 PHONES 1,300.00 1,300.00 1,635.75 1,167.90 1,450.00 1,300.00 ________

A3537114 54680 LANDSCAPIN 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 8,500.00 ________

A3537114 54720 PROF SER 4,832.56 5,000.00 7,805.50 14,216.43 11,410.93 5,000.00 ________

TOTAL PARK & CASINO 149,501.27 134,200.00 147,731.25 154,842.27 140,699.42 134,300.00 ________

[JK: Mike Brandi, former chair and now vice-chair of the Saratoga Springs City Republican Committee, sent the press release below. After an investigation into a bizarre donation to Democrat/Working Families Party candidate Joe Seeman’s unsuccessful Assembly campaign, the New York State Board of Elections found that former Saratoga Springs Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran used a gross sexual name when he entered a false name as a donor to Seeman’s campaign. Moran claimed that the donation was the result of a pernicious hack, but the Board determined that Moran was the source of the improper donation.]

For immediate release. From the desk of Mike Brandi.

New York State Board of Elections finds Dillon Moran was the source of the funds of illicit “Jack Meehoff” donation; No Evidence of Hacking.

Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to the New York State Board of Elections reveal that the failed Assembly campaign committee of Joe Seeman accepted an illegal campaign contribution submitted under a fictitious and lewd pseudonym tied to former Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran.

In its 27-day post-election filing, the Seeman campaign reported receiving a $100 contribution on October 31, 2024, from a contributor identified as “Jack Meehoff,” listing an address of 177 Lake Avenue and an employer of “City of Saratoga Springs.”

That address belongs to Dillon Moran.

Campaign finance records further show that Moran had previously donated $200 to the Seeman campaign under his real name using the same address.

Shortly thereafter, the New York State Board of Elections Enforcement Counsel contacted the Seeman campaign and advised that it had reported a contribution under a fictitious name. Enforcement Counsel instructed the campaign that it was required to disgorge the contribution by donating the funds either to the State or to a legitimate charitable organization.

On January 10, the Seeman campaign’s treasurer informed the Board of Elections that she had “done some sleuthing” and determined that the “Jack Meehoff” contribution had in fact come from Dillon Moran, who allegedly claimed that he had been “hacked.” The treasurer then asked whether the campaign could simply amend the filing to replace “Meehoff” with Moran and retain the contribution.

In response to the hacking allegation, Enforcement Counsel requested additional information in order to properly assess the matter.

Following an investigation, the Public Campaign Finance Board determined that the illicit contribution did in fact originate from Dillon Moran and that the contribution was submitted from a network associated with other contributions Moran made to political committees. The Board found no evidence that either Moran or the Seeman campaign had been victims of hacking.

New York Election Law prohibits political committees from accepting contributions made in any name other than the true name of the contributor.

The Board of Elections ordered the Seeman campaign to disgorge the $100 contribution within 30 days or face a $350 civil penalty. In the alternative, the campaign could have provided an affidavit from Moran admitting that he was the true source of the contribution. No such affidavit was ever provided.

On January 9, 2026, the Seeman campaign ultimately disgorged the unlawful contribution by donating $100 to charity.

The facts are clear: Dillon Moran made an official political contribution using a lewd pseudonym. Not only was this unlawful, but it was wildly inappropriate and unbecoming of a public official.

A healthy democracy requires elections conducted transparently and in accordance with the law. Moran’s cavalier treatment of campaign finance requirements demonstrates precisely why Saratoga Springs voters made the right decision in rejecting him in 2025.

When confronted, Moran resorted to the now-familiar “I was hacked” excuse — an explanation that collapsed under scrutiny after investigators concluded there was no evidence of hacking and determined that Moran himself was the source of the illegal contribution.

Gordon Boyd, along with his colleagues at the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, has launched a disinformation campaign to undermine the credibility of the Charter Commission appointed by Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford. They are attempting to spread the falsehood that the Charter Commission seeks to weaken the city’s representation in Saratoga County government by changing the charter language stating that the city has two Supervisors.

Briefly, Saratoga County’s government, not the city, has the authority to determine how many representatives each municipality within its jurisdiction is allowed. The county establishes the number of representatives, called Supervisors, each town/city is allotted based on its population size. Every municipality has at least one representative. Clifton Park and Saratoga Springs, due to their larger populations, currently have two.

If, in the future, the population growth in the county and the city were to increase sufficiently, the county might decide that the city might merit a third representative. Raising or lowering the number of Supervisors representing Saratoga Springs or any of the other municipalities in the county is solely the prerogative of the County. The wording in our charter will have no effect on that decision.

I don’t know how to make it any clearer, and this has been explained to Mr. Boyd and his colleagues repeatedly. THE CITY HAS NO AUTHORITY AS TO HOW IT IS REPRESENTED IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT. That is the prerogative of the county government.

There was no controversy among the Charter Review Commission members in their discussions about changing the language in the existing charter clause referring to two representatives to the county. The current charter, under Title 2, states that the city has two supervisors. The recommended new language would read that the City has “One or more Supervisors, as may be established by County Law,” a simple statement of fact.

They observed that if the county legislature were to grant Saratoga either more or fewer representatives, the current charter language would be invalid. The proposed language merely allows for flexibility should the county make any changes in the future.

To suggest that the Charter Commission wants to reduce the number of representatives to the county is simply false.

Some History

Mayor John Safford established a bipartisan charter review commission chaired by Vince DeLeonardis. The group, which includes several members who have previously served in city and county government, has been meeting for about a year. DeLeonardis previously served as the Saratoga Springs City Attorney and chaired an earlier charter commission established under former Mayor Meg Kelly.

The current charter, under Title 2, states that the city has two Supervisors. The recommended new language would read that the City has “One or more Supervisors, as may be established by County Law.”

On February 24, 2026, Gordon Boyd, along with several others, spoke at the Charter Review meeting. They opposed the language modifying the charter as it pertains to “supervisors.”

This is an extract from the February 24 meeting minutes, in which Boyd and his posse bizarrely claim that the Commission is proposing to reduce the city’s representation in county government.

At this meeting, DeLeonardis and other Commission members (including Matt Veitch, who served as one of Saratoga’s County Supervisors for 18 years) attempted to explain that the proposed change in language would not reduce the number of Supervisors allotted to the city and to discuss the reasoning behind the proposed changes. (I have included more extensive remarks made by DeLeonardis at a different meeting at the end of this blog.) Unfortunately, it appeared that for whatever reason, the explanation from Commission members had little effect on Boyd and his followers. On March 3, Boyd and someone named Robin Baxter appeared at the City Council meeting and repeated the same disinformation during the public comment period.

On May 5, 2026, the past chair of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, Otis Maxwell, used the City Council public comment period to again offer the same made-up concerns. Here is Maxwell speaking and DeLeonardis’s response that night.

Stunning Cynicism

Boyd and his compatriots should be uncomfortable about criticizing the language proposed to handle the Supervisor issue. In February,2017, an earlier Charter Review Commission of which Boyd was a member, not only acknowledged the county’s authority to determine how municipalities will be represented, but also recommended removing any language about Supervisors from the city’s charter.

Vince DeLeonardis’ Full Analysis

At the March 16, 2026, pre-agenda meeting of the City Council, DeLeonardis gave a thorough analysis of the Supervisor controversy.

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.