OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk Fiscal Affairs Officer Ellen Luczkowiak thinks the acquisition of new software is a key step in City Hall’s quest for acceptable financial record-keeping.

The city of Dunkirk has retained GovSense to provide financial and administrative computer software for all City Hall departments.

The Common Council voted 4-1 this month to make the move. It was advocated for months by city officials such as Fiscal Affairs Officer Ellen Luczkowiak, who points out that City Hall’s records currently constitute computer confusion. Departments are using their own distinct software programs that often cannot share information.

“This change is both necessary and overdue,” Councilman-at-large Nick Weiser said. “The city’s current system, KBS, is discontinued and no longer supported or about to no longer be supported, creating gaps in service and limiting access to the real-time financial data that we need to govern effectively.”

He added, “One of the strongest recommendations from the office of the state Comptroller has been for the city to modernize its systems and improve cross departmental workflows. GovSense’s platform … has been reviewed alongside other options and has earned the strong support of our financial and administrative leadership.”

Weiser said GovSense’s software “will give us improved reporting, clearer internal communication, and a more streamlined experience for both staff and residents. Crucially, it fits within our current budget. … (It’s) a timely, strategic investment and a meaningful step forward in responding to the comptroller’s guidance and building a more efficient, future-ready City Hall.”

The city budgeted $300,000 for the software in its 2025 budget.

Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak said, “We need to make a good faith effort showing to New York state and its Comptroller’s Office that we are serious in turning our city budget into a solvent and financially sound one. Having an up-to-date data system is the one thing they believe we should expend extra monies on, if nothing else — they told me that personally.”

Councilwoman Nancy Nichols provided the lone “no” vote against the software. “This company (GovSense) is new and the only other city in New York state that has bought into it is Niagara Falls. It is not completely implemented so we don’t know if it is performing up to their expectations,” she said.

Nichols stated there would be additional costs for implementation of the software and tech support, beyond the cost of the software itself. “Is this cost going to increase every year or will it be a locked-in price for years? We need to see in writing exactly what is included in this software service. There is nothing that states that in the resolution.”

The councilwoman for the Fourth Ward added, “This city has been burned financially on other great ideas to save money, but has backfired in the long run — ending up costing the city money which we don’t have. I don’t trust the decisions being made by the ones making the selection.”

Ellen Luczkowiak responded, “We’ve been working on this for over a year now. We’ve had multiple conversations and demonstrations and phone calls and we’ve done research. We’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make sure we can put software within this city that’s going to bring us forward instead of backwards.”

Even with the resolution passed, the fiscal affairs officer seemingly continued to campaign for acceptance of the software at a Finance Committee meeting this week.

She offered a statement calling GovSense “an innovative software company that will bring our city together, giving us better transparency throughout our departments and for residents, which has been something I see as lacking.”

She said the software will add a citizen engagement portal to the city website and City Hall’s “new ADP payroll will also integrate in their systems seamlessly.”

Luczkowiak said GovSense’s services will cost “roughly $295,000.” Contradicting Nichols’ earlier statement at council, she said that actually does include the set-up fees.