Former Schenectady mayor moves from selling ideas to selling wheels

Al Jurczynski recently compiled a contact list and sent out an email blast.

The former Schenectady mayor is also dipping into social media, shooting his name across cyberspace via hundreds of connections through Facebook and Linkedin. His pressed collared shirt and tie seem to complement his inviting smile — the one he wore so often when engaging the public during his 20 years in elected office.

“It’s exciting,” beamed the Republican, who also served as the deputy director of the Office for Small Cities and deputy secretary for the Department of State’s Office of Business and Licensing Services under Gov. George Pataki. “For my particular background, this job is custom-made for me.”

No, Jurczynski isn’t running for public office again — he’s not interested in taking another “jump into that cesspool.” But don’t be surprise if he tries to sell you a tuxedo black metallic 2012 Ford Focus with a manual transmission.

Last week, Jurczynski started training as a salesman with Metro Ford of Schenectady. The job is a chance to be in the public eye again, albeit in a far different capacity and in the private sector.

“Next to owning a home, having a nice vehicle to drive around in is part of the American dream,” he said while on break from the dealership Tuesday afternoon.

Working at dealership is just the latest career move for a man with an eclectic résumé. He served several years as an Army interrogator during the 1970s and a few more operating a furniture shop in Schenectady during the 1980s. More recently, he operated a private municipal water service consulting firm called Marial Inc., delivered copies of the Daily Gazette and served as a corrections officer at the Montgomery County Jail, a job he maintains to date.

Getting a job at the dealership is just the latest for a man whose career path has been anything but predictable. But it’s a logical one for the loquacious Jurczynski, who seems quite at home chatting up customers about the shinning stock of polished Fords parked outside the dealership.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he said.

For the dealership, having a well-known local figure like Jurczynski aboard is a plus, said Sales Manager Jim Rosamino. Already, the lifelong Schenectady resident is drawing attention at the showroom.

“You know who he is when you see him,” he said.

After training Tuesday, Jurczynski pulled out of the State Street showroom with about an hour to spare before making the 25-mile trek out to Fultonville, where he was scheduled to work the 4-to-midnight shift at the jail. He said the long hours aren’t bothering him right now and still pale in comparison to the 24/7 obligation of being the city’s mayor.

“As mayor, it was non-stop,” he said. “I always said the city was my office as mayor.”

Jurczynski was mayor of Schenectady from 1996 through 2003, following 12 years as a city councilman. His tenure in office was marked by some of the city’s darkest days, from a corruption scandal that brought shame to the Schenectady Police Department to a fiscal crisis that dropped the municipal credit rating to the lowest level in the state.

Jurczynski’s administration, however, also had its successes. The city’s failing downtown began to turn the corner with an influx of office buildings and streetscape improvements, and the steady migration of Guyanese he aggressively encouraged helped increase housing values in some areas of Schenectady.

After two terms, Jurczynski decided against running for re-election. The city’s political landscape heavily favored the Democrats, leading him to take the Pataki administration appointment.

Jurczynski still reflects fondly upon his years in politics. He remembers the occasion when his family was invited to the nation’s Capitol during a Polish heritage celebration and they were able to meet high-ranking members of the Bush administration along with the president himself.

He also remembers hearing the opinions of city residents, whether praising or criticizing his work as mayor. Feedback, he said, was one of the things he always looked forward to receiving.

But those days are long over for Jurczynski. When he reflects on his time in office, he realizes how much he was consumed by the city and the politics he faults for its continued struggles.

“I still love Schenectady,” he said. “I just don’t like the political apparatus in Schenectady.”

Right now, Jurczynski is focused on shifting into his new career. He still professes to enjoy his job at the jail and intends to keep it for a couple of years.

“When the day comes and I do leave the jail, I’ll have something to step into,” he said.