One of the most debated pieces of the 2026 city of Dunkirk budget proposal, announced this week by Mayor Kate Wdowiasz, revolves around the salary of its top elected official. Currently the position pays $54,500.

For next year, the mayor plugged in a major increase of $20,500 to $75,000 — or 37.6%. In defending the hike, Wdowiasz said it was a “similar adjustment” to the base pay increase for employees caused by the end of the insurance buyout program. She called it “equivalent to only a fraction of the value of the full-time elected officials’ insurance buyout benefit, which covers the full monthly premium of a family health insurance plan.”

We frown on that excuse. In the private sector, the health care benefit is nowhere near as generous as those in the public sector and often is more costly for employees. In some instances, if the employee turns down the benefit, there is no additional compensation.

Government, however, does not run like a business when it comes to tough decisions.

But there is a problem with the salary for the mayor. If the city of Dunkirk was not a government, it would likely be paying a penalty for an employee working below the salary threshold for exempt status in the state. According to the state Labor Department, those types of individuals — in 2025 — should be at $60,405.80 or higher.

In other words, the current mayor’s salary of $54,500 is illegal — but small-minded council officials and the lack of a qualified human resources department does not even understand that they are not in compliance with state labor laws.

By the way, two of those current council officials who will likely be complaining about a potential increase in pay for mayor — Nancy Nichols and James Stoyle — had no problem misspending $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds in 2021 to give themselves and city staff members a cushy bonus. Both were clueless at the time to the troubled path city finances were headed when a $14 million deficit was discovered in 2024. As is typical with elected officials, they still believe that deficit was not their fault — even though they both were at the table when four years budgets were approved.

Dunkirk’s 2026 spending plan has plenty of questions, but one thing is certain: the mayor’s position, which is more than a 40-hour per week, five-day job, is underpaid.

That is just not an opinion. It is a fact that will be backed up by state labor law.