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I am looking at all of Dunkirk's problems, including the current mayor and her support staff, the Democratic leadership, and the deep despair of a city that appears to have lost its way. I grew up in a community surrounded by neighborhoods and churches, corner stores, a thriving downtown, and factories that provided blue-collar families with jobs and hope for the future.
Today, I see a city struggling with desperation and decline. The delicate fabric of our community is being erased and forgotten. Neighborhoods where scores of children once played outside, participated in playground programs all summer, and visited corner stores run by neighbors and family members are now filled with boarded-up buildings. Those stores sold chips, penny candy, ice cream, and soda and provided a place to gather between games of Red Rover and freeze tag. I see the disintegration of a blue-collar town where a once-thriving downtown featured locally run dress and coat shops like Jaynes and Habers and department stores like Town and Country, creating a walker's shopping paradise. Kresge's five-and-dime had a small diner in the middle where friends could meet for lunch, and children could pop a balloon and win a banana split.
It was a true little city, with furniture stores and banks, apothecaries and shoe stores, and a theater that regularly had lines out the door and around the block for movies like "Tommy," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Yellow Submarine." I am grateful to have been part of that community. I spent countless hours in the Dunkirk Free Library with my sisters. We walked there from Maple Avenue, with our black-and-white cocker spaniel, Chips, standing sentry on the front lawn. We passed Washington Park, the center of many neighborhoods, where 30 or more boys would play baseball and gather around the fountain. On my way home from School 3's playground, I could stop at Angie Garigal's corner store for licorice whips and candy cigarettes. They were different times.
They were better times. The loss of scores of factories and companies over the last 50 years, most recently NRG, has left a gaping hole in Dunkirk's tax base. Good-paying jobs have disappeared. In their place, we see government-subsidized housing, a downtown increasingly composed of social-service offices and empty lots, and a growing sense that poverty and deprivation have displaced dignity and prosperity. Various "green energy" projects are also circling the waterfront like sharks around a bleeding swimmer.
Are wind turbines, data centers, and solar fields truly the answer to the problems facing a once-vibrant town? Or do these projects primarily benefit well-connected investors and political interests while residents bear the costs and risks?
Seventy-eight units of partially subsidized housing would direct approximately $38.29 million in state and public funds, even as the city of Dunkirk says it may need to consider bankruptcy. The CCIDA is also providing another $2.34 million in property-tax exemptions through PILOT agreements, reducing the project's estimated property-tax responsibility to $691,368 over 30 years. Is there a better approach -- one that strengthens Dunkirk's finances while creating jobs and generating lasting local revenue?
Other PILOT agreements are also in effect for companies, including some owned or operated by large corporations worth billions of dollars. Residents deserve a clear accounting of the public costs and benefits of these arrangements. Where are the jobs? Where are the measurable benefits and positive developments for Dunkirk? The comptroller has raised concerns about $1.8 million taken from the general fund for two new fire trucks without authorization. Our fire departments need those trucks to protect residents, businesses and every development in the city.
Shouldn't corporations benefiting from public incentives demonstrate a meaningful commitment to the community that protects them and their employees? For example, should the PILOT agreement with Wells Enterprises, which reportedly provides $6.03 million in property-tax abatements and another $17.54 million in sales-tax exemptions -- include a substantial contribution toward a new fire truck or other critical public-safety needs? The city should at least pursue such commitments openly and fairly.
In closing, I have lived a happy life in Dunkirk. I remember the beaches, parks, parades, and strong sense of community. It saddens me to see neighborhoods boarded up and deteriorating, a diminished downtown, fewer restaurants, and residents leaving because they cannot afford rising taxes and municipal service costs. Those increases will not solve the underlying problems without a credible long-term plan.
Dunkirk needs better planning, transparent decision-making, and responsible stewardship of public funds. Residents need clear information, measurable results and accountability from elected officials, agencies, and companies receiving public benefits. If these concerns are not addressed, residents should consider attending public meetings, requesting records, contacting their representatives, and supporting lawful civic and electoral action to demand answers.
Kathryn Marzullo is a Dunkirk resident.