Rich Morrisroe gave notice just about three months ago he would no longer be serving as city attorney starting in 2023. Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas found an ideal candidate in Michael Bobseine.

But there is one problem. Dunkirk’s fickle Common Council, which normally goes against anything the mayor proposes, is against Bobseine. One of the simple reasons: he does not live in the city.

Talk about an attitude that speaks to a mentality from the 1960s. By the way, when Mayor Richard Frey had attorneys Dan Gard, who lived in Silver Creek, and Michael Cerrie, who lived in Fredonia, no one squawked.

One decade later though, residency is an issue. How petty can you get?

Dunkirk should look to neighboring Fredonia to see the lack of benefit of working with a law firm. The village’s fees went from $68,000 with Gard in 2020 to more than $234,000 with Webster Szanyi.

This council boohoos $5,000 raises for department heads, but appears ready to triple its cost for an attorney in the new year? Here’s the true transparency regarding this issue on the attorney. It is not about cost, residency or doing what’s best for the taxpayers.

As has been the case for the last three years with the majority members of this council, it comes down to one reason: sticking it to the mayor.