Dunkirk’s finances are not exactly robust, nor are they all that clear. There is one thing about them that is certainly robust and clear: The finger-pointing.

Common Council members defended this week against “a growing narrative that the council somehow failed to act on the original Fiscal Recovery Act (from 2025) or failed to take the steps necessary to position the city for deficit financing,” as Councilman-at-large Nick Weiser put it.

Speaking at a Finance Committee meeting, Weiser called that narrative “not accurate.” He stated, “Once the Office of the State Comptroller certified the city’s debt, council acted promptly and held the necessary meetings to authorize participation under the original Fiscal Recovery Act before its expiration. Whether the city ultimately proceeded with the financing was not a legislative decision of the Common Council.”

Mayor Kate Wdowiasz has alleged that council’s feet-dragging killed a proposed extension of the original act, which expired Dec. 31. Weiser responded, “Council reviewed that proposal and expressed concerns because it was not simply an extension of the original Fiscal Recovery Act. Additional provisions were added that were not part of the legislation council previously supported. Council communicated those concerns publicly and discussed them in open meetings.”

Weiser also declared that Wdowiasz stated in a January radio interview “that the city chose not to move forward with the (original) financing package that was offered and instead intended to pursue a one-year extension from the State Legislature. Those comments are part of the public record.”

Councilman Frank Torain said, “I don’t think we as a council have discussed being opposed to any help from the state. I don’t want the public to get the idea that we aren’t listening because these two representatives (State Senator George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor, sponsors of the extension) are Republicans or whatever.”

Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak, however, wondered if there was something political behind the actions of Borrello and Molitor. The First Ward representative complained that she was not invited to an informational meeting about the act.

Weiser concluded that he is “supportive of efforts to secure whatever tools are necessary to stabilize the city’s finances. However, I also believe it is important that the public understand the distinction between the original Fiscal Recovery Act, which council acted upon, and subsequent legislative proposals that contained materially different language.

“Regardless of where people stand on these issues, I think residents deserve to know that council continues to focus on concrete actions: strengthening our financial structure through (adding) the comptroller position, developing a formal budget calendar, reviewing revenue measures, examining lease agreements, and working to ensure long-term fiscal stability.”

Wdowiasz told the OBSERVER she wanted to respond later to some of the comments made at Monday’s meeting.