Dunkirk’s Chautauqua County legislators explained in a letter to the Common Council Thursday why they did not support the county legislature’s call for a state Attorney General audit on the city’s fiscal affairs.

Robert Bankoski, Marcus Buchanan and Susan Parker signed the letter. Bankoski and Parker provided the “no” votes in a 14-2 ballot on the legislature measure, while Buchanan was absent.

The letter states: “Our opposition to the resolution was based upon our position that this resolution is unnecessary; that it has no real purpose as the Attorney General does not have the authority proposed in the resolution; and that the county is wrongly inserting itself into the affairs of another municipality (while, we will argue, not taking care of its many problems that it has control over.”

According to the letter, the trio had conversations with the Attorney General’s office in which they were flatly told it was not the state office’s place to do an investigation. They also noted that the state is already working with the city on its financial problems, through the Comptroller’s Office.

Bankoski, Buchanan and Parker allege, “there was no serious effort by the County Executive’s (PJ Wendel) office or the chair (of the County Legislature) and members of the legislature’s Audit and Control Committee to consult with the city or the state Comptroller’s Office.” They say they “were not notified or informed of the County Executive’s intentions,” and neither were Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz or the Common Council.

The letter continues, “Oddly, (Wendel) told one of us that this resolution was initiated because the county received a request from a city-associated auditor. The county has not and cannot provide any evidence of this request.

“The County Executive claims that the city has repeatedly asked the county for financial assistance, As far as any of us know, the only request for financial assistance concerned the harbor cleanup, which has not proceeded.”

The letter signers are apparently displeased with Dunkirk City Attorney Elliot Raimondo, who supported the legislature resolution and spoke in favor of it at the meeting where it was passed.

“The City Attorney spoke in favor of the resolution without informing any of us beforehand, “ the letter states. “Further, the City Attorney effectively undercut our efforts to help the city despite all our hard work and all of the reasoning shared above.”

The OBSERVER found the letter Friday in the attachments to the Common Council agenda for Monday’s meeting.