OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas presents his budget proposal for 2023 Friday at City Hall.

Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas has proposed a 2023 budget with no property tax increase.

At his Friday presentation, he also announced that city attorney Richard Morrisroe gave his notice, effective at the end of the year. Rosas said the city will be unable to attract a competent lawyer if it pays the previous attorney salary of $45,000. He suggested that even the $60,000 he budgeted for 2023 might not be enough, though he called it a “start in the right direction.”

Rosas’ budget also calls for the addition of a human resources director. “When I came into office, one of the first things that I realized was we are in desperate need of an HR director,” he said. “We have many issues we deal with routinely. While we have a very competent personnel administrator, he is not qualified to take on the duties and responsibilities of an HR director. Those duties are very important and could cost city taxpayers a ton of money.”

The total proposed budget is $26,376,325, a 6% increase from 2022. The mayor said the water and sewer rates will also be unchanged, in addition to the tax rate.