OBSERVER Photo After learning about a more than $100,000 budget deficit in the spring, pay raises have not been out of the question in Dayton.

DAYTON — This rural town of just under 1,900 in Cattaraugus County knows what it is like to be out of the media spotlight. Until recently, there was little that caught the attention of this newspaper other than minor infractions reported by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department or the New York State Police.

That all changed in the spring. After a third-party audit, town officials learned some funds, including the Highway Department, were showing a combined deficit of more than $100,000 after the fiscal year 2017.

For some perspective, the town — according to seethroughny.net — had 11 employees and a total payroll of $174,170 in 2017. Current town Supervisor Angie Mardino-Miller, who took over in January, probably did not know just how dire the financials were when she ran unopposed for office. She brought the information to the board and public in spring — it may even go as far as the state comptroller.

Dayton, of course, is no different than any other municipality in Western New York. It struggles to keep taxes down while providing services to residents.

But the recent financial crisis has sparked worries, even after last week’s meeting. Highway Superintendent Brian Taber, who has faced blame for an incident in which a vehicle was damaged in the March snowstorm, has seen an exodus from his department.

Two letters, from the exiting employees, were read aloud during the Sept. 12 board meeting. Both were upbeat in their tone, but there could be a possibility the fiscal crisis played a role in them leaving their posts.

It still leaves a major problem Taber was hoping to fix: who will clear the roads this winter? As of the meeting, Taber noted he had some candidates. But Dayton — with its limited population — could hire only employees who lived within its borders.

“We don’t have the people in town who want to drive a (commercial driver’s license) truck,” Taber said. “It’s tough.”

Town Board members rightly changed that law, but in the process also handed out $1 per hour pay raises on more than one occasion. All this while the town is knowingly dealing with a deficit.

Large or small, government representatives do not run budgets as though they are spending money out of their pockets. Close to home, Dunkirk’s city and school districts have watched budgets continue to increase since 2012 — the year NRG Energy Inc. announced it was looking at mothballing the power-generating facility on the lake.

Those in charge — on the council and school board — were very aware of the ramifications of NRG being dormant. Both entities received about $4 million from the payment in lieu of taxes agreement.

Despite NRG’s uncertainty, budget spending continued to increase.

On a even larger level, those who oversee our country also have a spending problem. The federal deficit is near $1 trillion and not slowing under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

But back to Dayton, it is exactly what you picture a Town Board meeting in the countryside to be. About 35 people filled the room with concerns that ranged from beaver dams to corner lots. It was a casual, but controlled meeting. Audience members often chimed in with thoughts and most of the dialogue was respectful.

Possibly the shining star of the evening’s meeting was Frank Watson, the town’s code enforcement officer. Pole barns and storage sheds were the only building taking place in the town and some tickets for unregistered and unlicensed automobiles on properties had been issued.

Watson later noted he attended a recent training where he was present for “eight hours in a room listening to other people drone on about code.” He told the board his priority is safety.

“I just hope I don’t take this job as seriously as some of those people today,” he said. “You wouldn’t want that. They are really into the code.”

There’s some compassion by Watson and an understanding of the rural community he is serving. It is exactly what you would want in that position for that town.

In Dunkirk and Fredonia, the largest municipalities in our region, code enforcement officers cannot have the same luxury. When residents of these entities complain about downtown or neighborhood eyesores, it is a product of a lack of enforcement — or what is considered by many to be “selective.”

If first impressions matter, derelict structures on the main thoroughfares — ignored for years — send the wrong message.

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.