Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz

Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz’s attempt to increase pay for the mayoral position took some criticism at a Common Council meeting Tuesday. Wdowiasz called it “not actually a raise,” explaining a change of course that apparently removes the salary bump.

The move, and other parts of Wdowaisz’s proposed 2026 budget, saw occasionally acidic critiques at the first council meeting since the mayor released the spending plan last week.

Notable among the public speakers was Bob Bankoski, one of the city’s representatives on the Chautauqua County Legislature.

“Asking for a $20,000 raise, I think that’s a little excessive at this point in time, with the financial straits that the city is in,” Bankoski said. “But I do agree that the mayor position is underfunded. There was a good article in the paper by the editor of the OBSERVER over the weekend. I think a modest increase of $6,000 would suffice at this point in time, due to the city’s financial situation.”

He added, “When the mayor is making $5,000 more than the city janitor, and she’s the chief executive officer of a city who oversees a $26 million budget, I think something is worthy of somewhat of an increase.”

Bankoski went on to criticize elimination of funding for the treasurer’s position in the budget. “We don’t know at this point in time, because it’s up for a referendum vote, if the public is going to agree to eliminate that position or not. Eliminating that salary out of the budget at this point in time is probably not the right thing to do.”

Bankoski also criticized removal of funding for demolition of blighted buildings, for Senior Center activities, and for beach personnel. He said a proposed elimination of health insurance buyouts would put the city more in line with other local entities, adding the Dunkirk City School District doesn’t offer buyouts. However, raises for certain city officials would offset savings from that, he claimed.

Wdowiasz said of the mayoral salary line increase, “That was not actually a raise. I was trying to accurately reflect what an insurance buyout would look like for an elected official. There is a local law on the books from 1992 that entitles every elected official to receive a full insurance premium buyout for a family plan. I was looking to take a portion of that and not the full amount which totals about $27,000 a year.”

The mayor continued, “I have since separated it out, making my salary back down to the $54,500 it currently sits at, and I have added an additional line under our insurance benefits that shows what that dollar amount would be, should I choose to take that insurance buyout. That is all that that was, I was trying to be as transparent as possible.”

Wdowiasz said she has required her appointed officials to sign an agreement that, effective Jan. 1, they will no longer be required to do buyouts.

As for the treasurer’s cut, “if the referendum does not pass, that would obviously go back into the budget line and we would know that before the budget passes.”

The mayor went on to mention that the city expects its final 2024 audit by Friday, and she has a phone call scheduled with the Office of the State Comptroller “to discuss the next steps (on) getting into deficit financing.”

Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak later attacked Wdowiasz over the mayoral pay raise attempt and her insurance dealings.

Luczkowiak began, “I wish to let all residents know that I, and I know my council peers… are responsibly studying and scrutinizing the proposed budget, all the while taking into account your questions and concerns and research when necessary. When one reads or hears something, please research. Just go a little deeper for actual facts relative to a small city.”

Luczkowiak said, “It really angers me that anyone would take into account an insurance buyout as part of their salary. Mayors in smaller cities typically earn lower salaries compared to those in larger cities, which average annual salaries around $44,000 — the Olean mayor makes $50,000. This varies on the city’s budget, population size, economic conditions — and mayor’s experience.”

Councilman-at-large Nick Weiser had the last word on the budget proposal Tuesday.

“We will be taking a careful and comprehensive approach to reviewing it. Over the coming weeks, council will examine every line of every department and fund to ensure that our decisions are fiscally responsible, transparent, and in the best long term interest of the city’s residents,” Weiser said.

“As everyone knows, the city’s fiscal position remains difficult and there’s no quick fix. We anticipate another austere budget cycle, one grounded in realism and shared responsibility.,” he later added.

Weiser said the Common Council will begin its formal review of the budget today after a 9 a.m. meeting of the council’s Finance Committee.