Dunkirk City Attorney Elliot Raimondo told the Common Council this week he “stopped paying attention” to the Fiscal Recovery Act saga.

Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak asked him about an OBSERVER article quoting Mayor Kate Wdowiasz that the act is off the table. The original act, passed in 2025, was supposed to pump millions into financially troubled Dunkirk’s budget — but city officials failed to access the funding by the Dec. 31 deadline.

“I know they cited it was because of a bill proposed, but I don’t think that was the case?” Luczkowiak asked Raimondo. “Do you have anything you wanted to add or put some light on?”

“I’m not sure at the moment,” the city attorney replied. “I know (State Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor) did have a bill being proposed. I know there was some communications with the city, but the (New York state) budget dragged on, so I stopped paying attention to it.”

Raimondo was referring to a bill that would have extended the Fiscal Recovery Act funding by a year. Council members balked at conditions added to the bill that were not in the original act passed in 2025. Wdowiasz blamed the Common Council last week for letting the act falter, stating they did not communicate their concerns to Borrello and Molitor.

Raimondo did have a bit of information on a Revenue Anticipation Note from 2025, which the state backed. “The city still has to go out to bid to attempt to refinance the state loan,” he said.

The lawyer’s brief comments were the most noteworthy item in a short, tame Common Council meeting. Luczkowiak ran the meeting because Councilman-at-large Nick Weiser was out of town. Luczkowiak said Weiser was excused from the meeting “due to professional obligations out of state.”

Prior to questioning Raimondo, Luczkowiak asked Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury to confirm that his streets division is patching and filling potholes on all city streets. He said it was.

The council passed four resolutions, including a walk-in that was not read out which concerned the city treasurer position and the recently passed local law that added a city comptroller. Councilors, in fact, neither commented on nor explained any of the four resolutions.

One of the resolutions moved the next council meeting to Monday, June 6. The latest meeting was gaveled out by Luczkowiak after barely 20 minutes.

Wdowiasz, who has announced she will no longer attend council meetings, stayed true to her word and stayed away Tuesday.