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Residents demand accountability after nonprofit filings tie to councilman; Polarski rejects calls to resign
Summary
Residents urged an investigation and demanded Council Member Brian Polarski resign or face censure after public commenters alleged nine years of missing IRS filings at a nonprofit Polarski led; Polarski denied theft or personal gain and said audits and investigations are underway.
Several residents pressed the Cheektowaga Town Board on March 24, 2026 over the town official involved in a nonprofit reporting scandal, with multiple speakers demanding accountability and an independent probe.
Public commenter Nick Breznik opened the evening’s criticism by calling the conduct “unethical,” saying the board should have called for an investigation when the first reports surfaced and asserting, “He admitted that he didn't do the 990s.” Jody Klazinski told the board she had reviewed the nonprofit’s public filings and argued the breakdown in transparency called for outside scrutiny: “I believe a full independent federal investigation should be done on everyone involved.”
Other residents pressed similar points. Rachel EC described her review of tax returns for a program she tied to a council member, saying the 2024 filing reported about $269,000 in revenue and a very small share spent on program activity, and called for the board to provide answers about inconsistent reporting. Dennis Hannon urged the town to pursue a formal censure or to ask Polarski to resign, saying families and seniors who relied on the nonprofit’s services had been harmed.
Council Member Brian Polarski addressed the room near the end of the meeting, saying he had resigned from his role at the Senica Babcock Community Association to allow the organization to respond while audits and investigations proceed. Polarski denied any theft or misappropriation and said the agency’s programs — including child care, senior transportation and meals services — continued in large part while administrators worked to restore operations. He added that he did not plan to resign from the town board: “That will not happen,” he told the board, and asked the public to let the audit process run its course.
Supervisor Noak and other board members told the audience they expected formal audit results and investigative reports to be released when available. Several residents said they expected the district attorney or other outside authorities to complete their inquiries and wanted the board to act on any formal findings.
The meeting ended with applause and continued debate among residents about whether the board should place a censure item on a future agenda; the board stated audits and investigations remain pending and did not take formal disciplinary action at the session.
