OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas, left, speaks with Police Chief David Ortolano before presenting a proposed 2024 budget Thursday at City Hall.

Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas is calling for a tax hike in his final proposed budget that was presented Thursday afternoon at City Hall.

Rosas wants to raise property taxes to $18.12 per $1,000 of assessed value — a rise of 87 cents from the current rate. That would add $43.50 to the city tax bill of someone with property assessed at $50,000.

The mayor, who is not running for re-election, said he and his administration decided against cutting services to balance the budget. “Residents and taxpayers have become used to these services,” he said. “The decision to cut these services is always hard.”

Rosas said, “I didn’t cut any of the things I thought I would cut.” He added, “The decisions made on this budget have been made with the city’s best interests in mind.”

The mayor said later, “I didn’t think it was a burden on our taxpayers to add more people in parks.” The budget proposes two additional parks workers.

The OBSERVER asked Rosas if he considered cuts in areas other than services, such as staffing. Rosas asserted that during his seven previous years in office, his administration eliminated positions, cut overtime and “made changes to make the city work more efficiently.”

He said, “I believe all of the positions that are budgeted are truly needed in city government.”

The budget does not include an increase in city landfill tipping fees. “Once again, the county has raised the landfill fees on our city,” Rosas wrote in his budget message. “This will be an increase of $1 per ton which will take effect in 2024. … The city of Dunkirk will be absorbing this increase to save our taxpayers additional costs.”

The Dunkirk Common Council will now look over Rosas’ proposal in the next few weeks and make whatever changes it desires before voting on it.