It’s back to the beginning in the saga of proposed term length changes for Dunkirk’s assessor and treasurer.

The city’s Common Council voted unanimously this week to rescind a resolution that would lengthen the officials’ terms from two to six years. The voting public would have had to approve such a change on Election Day.

They apparently won’t get the chance, as city officials are now debating whether the assessor and treasurer positions should be elected or appointed. That was cited in Tuesday’s resolution as a reason to rescind the resolution.

Council member Martin Bamonto said that, while he agreed with the move to rescind the term changes, he wasn’t brought into discussions about it. He asked what the reasoning behind it was.

City Attorney Richard Morrisroe said that when Dunkirk moved from a three-person Board of Assessors to a single assessor in 2011, the city should have changed the term to six years. Since it didn’t, it is not in compliance with state law.

“We’re in the process of figuring out the best way to clean up with the Department of State and the Board of Elections to make sure that happens,” Morrisroe said.

He also cited the internal discussions about making the positions appointed, as a second reason for Tuesday’s move.

“We just thought it would be best, given those two facts, just to pause at this point,” Morrisroe said.

Council member James Stoyle commented that, like Bamonto, his name was on the resolution as a sponsor but he didn’t know anything about it until Tuesday. He asked Morrisroe for a promise that the terms will get into compliance with state law. The attorney said it will happen.

Mayor Wilfred Rosas said he recommends that the council make both the treasurer and assessor positions appointed by city government, with minimum requirements for civil service tests.