So far, the city of Dunkirk has done little to nothing to decrease the proposed 108% tax increase in the 2025 spending plan. Sure, Common Council members have met but for the most part their hands are tied due to contractual obligations.

There has been only one true alternative mentioned to help give tax relief to city residents. That came from Chautauqua County Legislator Terry Niebel. He suggested the city sell one of its assets — its water plant — to the county.

At the moment, the city is not interested. “The mayor has said we are not interested in selling,” said Randy Woodbury, city DPW director. “We think the offer from the county would be 10 cents on the dollar. I don’t think we’re that desperate.”

Despite Woodbury’s sentiments, Dunkirk needs to be “desperate.” It has an $18 million budget deficit that is tied to bad fiscal management.

City residents should not be penalized by a lack of attention to details by the city treasurer, the administration and council in previous years. But that is the current and only direction the city seems to be taking at the moment. If investment seems minimal downtown at the moment, a doubling of the tax increase will not help the situation.

Niebel offered an excellent suggestion. It deserves a lot more thought from the city.