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Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas criticized the Common Council’s proposed changes to his 2023 budget Monday and stated that he will veto it.

Rosas said he received the changes Friday, a day after the council’s final budget workshop. “I don’t think they were well thought-out,” he said.

Rosas said one of the changes was a cut in the salary line for his secretary — but as she is a union employee, her salary is dictated by a collective bargaining agreement. “You can’t do that. I don’t think they understand that,” he said. “That is something I would have to veto.”

The mayor is upset that the council boosted the line for lawyers it wants to put on retainer by $5,000. He also doesn’t like that they cut his travel line by $2,000, his discretionary expenses line by $1,500 and his training outlay by $1,000.

He said the city fiscal affairs officer, Marsha Beach, has a proposed $5,000 cut in her salary line. “She hasn’t had a raise in five years,” he said. “Some of her administrative staff makes more than she does.”

The council is set to hold a public budget hearing and vote on the spending plan Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.