Common Council, which has not worked well with Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas since the start of 2020, took a little too much joy in criticizing a recent veto of a failed resolution from Sept. 7. In a news release issued earlier this week, the council noted vetoes cannot be issued on items that fail.

“This is yet another attempt by the mayor to push forward his desires without regard to the limits of his power under the City Charter,” the news release from council said. “The taxpayers have already spent thousands of dollars on litigation because the city attorney does not know what the actual Charter says and the mayor does not seem to care.”

Those comments, however, are a bit hypocritical. This council is the only body in Chautauqua County to have its own attorney in Dan Gard — adding to the litigation — while the administration uses city attorney Richard Morrisroe. Dueling attorneys, undoubtedly, is a recipe for butting heads.

Remember, the council attorney came out in the spring with an issue over the chopping of trees on Perry Street near Point Gratiot. In releasing the report publicly, the state comptroller and the Federal Bureau of Investigations were said to be hot on the trail of the $6,000 to $8,000 alleged malfeasance. Unsurprisingly, there has been silence on the issue for four months — from all sides.

Council members, which face a November election, are on the hot seat. There has been no real progress or harmony in Dunkirk since they have been seated.

Maybe that has been their plan all along. If it was, unfortunately for residents, it has been working too well.