A comptroller, that is sorely needed in the city of Dunkirk, has riled up some so-called penny pinchers. This week, council approved the appointment of Tracy Smith-Dengler for the position. It did not come without drama. In voting against the hiring, Third Ward Councilman Gary Frederickson ...

So much for the spirit of home rule. At last month’s town of Pomfret board meeting, it was announced the state will not be lowering the speed limit on Fredonia-Stockton Road. Pomfret town officials mentioned at a Town Board meeting earlier this year that the LoGuidice Center had requested a ...

Since a crisis put Jamestown in a statewide spotlight in the summer of 2024, homelessness has become a major issue in Chautauqua County. A website poll finds that readers are in agreement. Last week’s question, “Are you concerned about the homeless problem in Chautauqua County?” found ...

We still struggle to justify automatic pay raises each year for Chautauqua County lawmakers — though judging from last week’s vote Republican lawmakers have no such struggle. In 2024, the county legislature voted to increase the base salary of individual legislators from $9,000 to ...

On its own, it’s not the biggest news that the towns of Ellington and Charlotte are looking to merge courts and share one judge. In 2021, the towns of Sherman, Mina, French Creek and Clymer merged their courts to a single operation. That was followed by the towns of Harmony and North ...

Nick Weiser, councilman at-large, is the sharpest on Dunkirk’s legislative board. After coming aboard in 2024 — right as the fiscal crisis was beginning — he was the first council leader to scrutinize the budget, even helping other council members who had served numerous terms understand ...