Dunkirk’s greedy ways of 2021 are again coming back to haunt its residents and community members. Back then, Common Council thought it was so flush thanks to federal COVID monies, it handed out $300,000 in bonuses to itself and workers.

Almost three years later, the stark reality is the city is not only broke, it’s swimming in debt. What is one of its solutions for getting more revenue? To raise summer camp fees to $50 for one child of city residents and $40 for any of their additional kids. For non-residents it will be $60 for each first child and $45 for others.

“It’s long overdue,” said Nancy Nichols, councilwoman, earlier this month. “For what the students get for one week of this … that’s a steal and a half.”

Easy for her to say. She was one of the council members back in November 2021 who voted to take that bonus cash from COVID bucket of funds. Certainly that was a “steal” in the eyes of many.

Today, Nichols seems fine just passing on other costs to the residents. Instead, how about just raising the fee for non-city residents?

Those who reside in Dunkirk next year are already going to be asked to pay more due to the tremendously poor job of watching the finances over the last five years — by council and the administration.

Why penalize them again?