Like all municipalities, the city of Dunkirk often looks at ways to raise more revenue. In Dunkirk, raising fees for marriage, birth and death certificates looks to be a non-starter.

City officials were considering it, but decided to drop the idea at this week’s meeting of the Common Council Finance Committee. City Clerk Lillian Divine spoke out against the proposal.

Divine pointed out that many in Dunkirk, federally designated as an impoverished city, would have a hard time paying the increased fees. It would be too much of a hardship for people to pay more, for too little gain for the city, she asserted.

Councilmember Nancy Nichols said she understood that, but thinks that fees ought to be raised on out-of-towners for their use of the city’s recreation benefits, such as its summer camp and its fields and pavilions at the parks.

For now, city officials agreed that hikes to certificate fees are off the table.

“Those three licenses aren’t going to make or break the city,” said Councilmember James Stoyle.