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Dunkirk's Common Council will vote Tuesday on a 2024 budget that is apparently little-changed from Mayor Wilfred Rosas' proposal.
Rosas' budget calls for a property tax increase of $18.12 per $1000 of assessed property, up 87 cents. It would add $43.50 to the tax bill of a property assessed at $50,000.
Councilman-at-large David Damico said at this week's meeting that there were "minor modifications" to Rosas' proposal. Councilwoman Nancy Nichols, however, had a typically blunt answer when asked about it by the OBSERVER.
"To be perfectly honest with you, whatever changes we suggest for the budget, if we make the changes anyway and we don't have enough votes, and you need four votes, the mayor is just going to veto it anyway," she said. "It's just the way it's going to happen."
Nichols was referring to the split on council between three Republicans -- herself, Damico and James Stoyle -- and Democrats Martin Bamonto and Natalie Luczkowiak, who generally support fellow Democrat Rosas. Four votes from council are needed to override a mayoral veto of the budget it passes.
Nichols noted, "We didn't have the votes to do it last year." Significant changes proposed by the council Republicans to the 2023 budget were vetoed by Rosas and the council indeed split 3-2 on overriding it, meaning the GOP's proposed changes did not go through.
This year, a public budget hearing will be held at council chambers in City Hall at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The council will then discuss and vote on the budget.