The Dunkirk Common Council approved Tracy Smith-Dengler as new city comptroller this week.

She got the job with a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Gary Frederickson dissenting, apparently because Smith-Dengler’s salary is unclear.

Smith-Dengler is currently the central business office manager for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. She has held that position since 2008, and is a SUNY Fredonia graduate, according to her LinkedIn page.

The council also reappointed Clerk/Treasurer Amy Dobek and Fiscal Affairs Officer Ellen Luczkowiak. Those appointments happened by unanimous vote. Councilman Frank Torain said the duo legally required reappointment after the city restructured its financial departments earlier this year.

Torain said of adding the comptroller, “We’re doing this for financial stability. The state is evaluating how we proceed in instituting systems that assist the city to stay in compliance with the Fiscal Recovery Act. So it’s necessary to put those layers in to make sure that we are in compliance, and stay in compliance.”

Torain said he met with Smith-Dengler, and thinks she’s a “very, very impressive woman, not only from her qualifications, but also her tenacity — how she looks at things, how she views things. She has a history of going in and solving problems in a very, very quick manner, and she has a deep background.

“I’m not sure if we can come up with anybody more qualified than her — in fact, I was wondering why she even wanted to apply for a job here in the city of Dunkirk (government), and asked that question. Her answer, which was also impressive, was she saw a need in the city of Dunkirk to come in and help.”

Torain later added that it’s his belief “the city of Dunkirk will be very, very thankful, if she can do the things she has done in past positions. It’s a risk well worth taking in order to get her in here, and get her started on the things she’s capable of doing.”

Frederickson said he “spent the afternoon today in this building trying to get the specific salary number for the comptroller position, and left without that answer. It seemed that nobody in this building was able to give me what I thought should be a relatively simple answer to a question: How much are we going to pay this comptroller per year?”

Frederickson said he understood the position would be paid through a grant its first two years, but expressed concerns about its funding through the end of the six-year term.

“I’d like to believe that the efficiencies we’ll find, both in terms of added revenue and the potential for expenditure savings, would at least offset some part of the salary for a position like this,” Councilman-at-large Nick Weiser said. “I believe it’s worth the investment in the city’s financial future, and if we put it anywhere, we ought to put it in our finances.”

Bob Bankoski, a Chautauqua County Legislator representing Dunkirk, earlier questioned the council about the comptroller position while speaking as a member of the public.

He said there was “A lot of scuttlebutt going on. It was brought to my attention several cases and concerns regarding this.” While no one really questioned a need for a city comptroller, there were “a lot of concerns why we did not advertise for this position.” Bankoski also echoed concerns about the position’s salary.

He said the city should “do this transparently and correctly. I don’t know who (Smith-Dengler) is, maybe she is the right person for the job… but maybe there is someone out there more qualified.”

Bankoski concluded the council should table the approval of Smith-Dengler for the position, until it came up with a better job description and advertised for potential applicants.

Councilman Michael Civiletto subsequently offered some comments in response to Bankoski and other critics.

“The law itself is a local law that was written as an appointment. Being that it is a mayor’s appointment, in my view, that would mean she has the ability to bring forward people that she has earthed for. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on a website and put out because it is an appointed position.

“This person,Tracy Smith-Dengler, was presented to us. We reviewed her qualifications, we reviewed her experience. In the resolution, it does say exactly what her responsibilities are. Proper financial management, oversight of municipal funds, preparation of financial reports, compliance with state and local fiscal regulations.”

Civiletto added the resolution said the salary and benefits would be established in the city budget. “So that third year, we would have to budget it… if we come up with a number that was smaller than what it was before, so be it, and if that’s unacceptable to Tracy in her third year, then she can accept or not accept whatever we offer her. At this point — now that we’ve gone half a year — the first year and half here is going to be covered by a grant, so it doesn’t actually infringe on the budget we have.”