Dunkirk Finance Committee meetings typically provide lots of depressing information these days, and this week’s session was no different.

The state Fiscal Recovery Act passed by the state Legislature is no longer valid, as it has expired, Mayor Kate Wdowiasz noted. With the state budget still not passed yet, it’s anyone’s guess when state legislators will consider an extension.

The act was supposed to let Dunkirk access millions of dollars in interest-free loans.

However, the city evidently ran out of time before accessing the loans. Delays in audits led to a corresponding delay in getting the city’s debt certified by the state — and Dunkirk couldn’t start the process of getting the loans.

By the time the Common Council formally authorized an attempt to seek the financing, it was just a couple weeks before the act expired Dec. 31.

The indefinite delay in Albany’s help is bad news for a city that had to halt pothole work over its lack of funding.

“For financial reasons we’re temporarily shut off” in fixing potholes, Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury said. “Anything I can do to get that going with personnel and materials, I want to help.”

Wdowiasz said later she would meet with the city’s top fiscal officer, Ellen Luczkowiak, immediately after the meeting about finding a way to fund pothole repairs.

Even if it gets funded, finding manpower could be a challenge. DPW is well understaffed in both full and part-timers.

“We’re only budgeted one part-timer for a short period of time,” Woodbury said. “That might get the banners up but it won’t get the mowing done.”

He asked for a council resolution to hire an additional part timer, who would help put up the city’s Memorial Day decorations.

“We cannot be expected to get the same amount of work done with less people — much less people,” commented DPW’s deputy director, Mike Przybycien.

He also noted at one point, “Utility bills for the city are through the roof, and we’ll need to move money around just to cover those.”

Luczkowiak later agreed: “Gas and electric are clearly over budget in most every area.”

A few slim shards of light did slip through the dark curtains of Dunkirk’s finances:

— Luczkowiak reported that most city departments “are really trying to stay within roughly 30%” of their spending for the fiscal year. City officials wanted departments to space their spending evenly throughout the year to avoid going over budget.

— The fiscal officer said Dunkirk will be paying its annual state retirement fund contribution in this payroll. That’s a change from recent years, when the city tended to let that obligation slide.

Wdowiasz said Dunkirk has paid up its 2024 and 2025 contributions as well — but still owes on 2022 and 2023.

— A delighted Wdowiasz declared that “the tax collection for the county is paid and turned over on time for the first time in decades.” She credited new tax collection computer software, a recent change creating a city Clerk/Treasurer’s Office, and the employees in that office.