Saratoga Springs seeks answers on housing head's salary

Posted at: 01/19/2012 5:16 PM | Updated at: 01/19/2012 5:45
PM
By: Mark Mulholland

SARATOGA SPRINGS - As Executive Director
of the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority, Ed
Spychalski oversees about 380 low to moderate income
apartments and draws a publicly funded salary of 152-thousand
dollars a year.

Spychalski's compensation has drawn criticism from residents
recently, after he told them the authority couldn't afford to
eradicate bed bugs in some of the apartments.

Spychalski was the authority's maintenance supervisor before
becoming executive director in 2006.  That year, his
salary was almost 75-thousand dollars. In the five years since,
his salary has more than doubled, to just under 152-thousand
dollars a year, plus benefits.

"I'd like to find out out about the compensation packages, the
vehicles, the potential nepotism. I think these are all fair
questions and I'm waiting for their answers,"
said city Accounts Commissioner John Franck has
asked for a public hearing with the Housing Authority for later
this month. He wants to hear from the authority why their
director makes more than New York's Lieutenant
Governor, and 14-thousand dollars a year more than the director
of the Albany Housing Authority who oversees more than four
times the number of units.

After a public meeting Thursday, Spychalski wouldn't comment
about his compensation. But Dennis Brunelle, the chairman
of the authority's board offered this. "We feel he's doing a
lot more than most people understand. The salary has created a
lot of stir and we're going to take a look at it. But there's
reasons why it is that high."

Some residents of the apartments stand squarely behind the
director, others say he should resign.

"His attitude is don't bother me, I don't have time for
you," said Lisa Vincent, a resident
of Stonequist Apartments since 2006.

Again, Spychalski chose not to comment Thursday.The Housing
Authority says they'll have more to say regarding his
compensation in the next week to ten days, which would coincide
with the public hearing Commissioner Franck has scheduled for
January 31st.

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Saratoga Springs seeks answers on housing head's salary