Councilman At-Large Paul VanDenVouver implores city Mayor Wilfred Rosas to leave the Dec. 15 meeting.

Tempers had been simmering for the first 11 months of 2020 in Dunkirk City Hall, but it was nothing like this. After Common Council approved a $24 million budget that included increases to the sewer rate and tipping fee — which goes toward garbage collection — at the beginning of December, there was a sense of uncertainty that came to light.

Council members gave the appearance of being frustrated on Dec. 15 in regard to their overall lack of understanding of the spending plan they had endorsed two weeks earlier. It all started when city Mayor Wilfred Rosas issued four vetoes to that final version on Dec. 2.

In his veto message, Rosas called many of the minor changes made by council members “neutral, and made for political purposes, not for fiscal ones.” For all intents and purposes, his statement was accurate. What the mayor was challenging was a pay decrease for city attorney Richard Morrisroe, a reduction of $65,000 to the Dunkirk Local Development Corp. and the allocation of $10,000 for a separate attorney for the council.

That began the bedlam. At the final city meeting of the year, there was an absolute grilling by the council of both Marsha Beach, city financial chief, and Mark Woods, city treasurer.

Both had offered their support for the Rosas’ vetoes while Beach went a step further and addressed the instability and high cost of garbage collection, which ultimately was a money-losing proposition due to the maintenance as well as the generous wages and benefits to those who work in the department.

That did not sit well with what is a stubborn council, even though they were given the exact same information in budget hearings less than a month before. In attempting to defend his department heads at the meeting, Rosas attempted to say something.

When he was not allowed to speak, the fireworks began. Coucilman At-Large Paul VanDenVouver issued a warning to everyone in the chambers about interrupting.

Rosas did not sit silent and was unceremoniously asked to leave. It may have been entertaining to some residents before the holidays, but in the end it’s a black eye. Viewers across Western New York were treated to the video display, courtesy of the public access channel that is funded by taxpayers.

Dunkirk is no longer looked upon as a city where people in Western New York see signs of progress or leadership. Instead, it has become a bickering municipality where the mayor gets kicked out of a meeting.

On a small scale, it’s embarrassing. In a bigger picture, it is not much different than the dysfunction and lack of unity we have seen on a national level.

Gone are the times when representatives, especially those representing local government with differing viewpoints, could sit down and talk about finding compromise while looking each other in the eyes. Today, almost vindictively, the parties take to social media or call out the other side in an attempt to see who can provide the best one-line zinger.

Constituents find it engaging, so maybe it will conjure up additional votes. But our decorum is suffering.

On the other side of the spectrum, thankfully, is the city of Jamestown. It also faces a number of financial struggles as the population has dropped by 7,000 in the last 40 years to just under 29,000. There, Mayor Eddie Sundquist announced two vetoes to the final $35 million budget that was approved by the council.

In what appeared to be polite fashion compared to Dunkirk, members decided to reject Sundquist’s call to not eliminate the recreation coordinator position and use an additional $53,000 from the city’s unreserved fund balance toward the position. “This is nothing the council relishes in doing,” Council President Anthony Dolce said. “This is not a permanent policy statement. We want to bring this position back as soon as we can safely.”

In Jamestown, it was just a disagreement — and it was handled diplomatically. Dunkirk, however, is quite the opposite. Hostilities at council meetings are reverberating throughout the community.

Actions portrayed by our leaders ultimately represent those they serve. That’s not a good look for city hall — and everyone who has been elected to serve the municipality bears plenty of blame.

John D’Agostino is the regional editor of the OBSERVER, The Post-Journal and the Times Observer of Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 253.