Cash News
OBSERVER Photos by M.J. Stafford
Above Dunkirk Treasurer Mark Woods, left, and Fiscal Affairs Officer Ellen Luczkowiak speak to Councilperson-at-large Nick Weiser at a Common Council Finance Committee meeting Monday.Below Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz apparently discusses a proposed property tax cap override with city Common Council members Monday.
Treasurer Mark Woods said at a Common Council Finance Committee meeting that the city would need to hike budgeted tax revenue in 2025 by just $125,239, to trigger the need for a local law to override the cap. He called that a “minimal” amount; the city annually budgets millions in tax revenue.
“If we go to the tax cap, it only infuses about $125,000,” said Mayor Kate Wdowiasz.
“Anything over that amount has to have the local law passed.”
Wdowiasz emphasized that passing the law does not necessarily mean the city will go very far over the cap.
OBSERVER Photos by M.J. Stafford
Above Dunkirk Treasurer Mark Woods, left, and Fiscal Affairs Officer Ellen Luczkowiak speak to Councilperson-at-large Nick Weiser at a Common Council Finance Committee meeting Monday.Below Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz apparently discusses a proposed property tax cap override with city Common Council members Monday.
Her 2025 budget proposal, which must be passed by council, has an approximately 108% tax hike, necessitating the local law to override the cap. The council’s review of Wdowiasz’s proposal is ongoing.
The treasurer and mayor spoke immediately after a rather curious executive session. Right after Woods opened the discussion by passing around documents from New York state explaining its tax cap, Wdowiasz asked the council if she could speak to them about the matter behind closed doors. Councilors agreed, appearing unclear on the reason for closing the meeting until Councilperson-at-large Nick Weiser suggested “pending litigation.”
The four council members (Natalie Luczkowiak was not present) and the mayor retreated to Wdowiasz’s office, adjacent to the City Hall conference room, for about 10 minutes. They came out laughing.
The tax cap was on the agenda at the council’s last regular meeting but got tabled. It is going on the agenda at the next meeting in November.
As for the Requests for Proposals, they were also tabled at the last council meeting. Wdowiasz said City Attorney Elliot Raimondo wanted them on the agenda for informational purposes.
“Basically we just wanted to show you what we were looking for,” she said.
There was one RFP for accounting, another for financial record keeping. According to Fiscal Affairs Officer Ellen Luczkowiak, “The state was really saying we needed more oversight as far as accounting. We were just getting an idea on costs.”
Woods said he would not call getting outside help a mandate from Albany, but “a strong suggestion — again, that’s subject to interpretation.”
Wdowiasz said the city received a single response on the financial record keeping RFP. Weiser noted that since the date for submission of the RFPs has passed, “they’re essentially defunct as they stand.”
Councilperson Nancy Nichols asked Wdowiasz how the city would fund the positions. The mayor said, “This is not my meeting,” before stating that the city would not have enough money to get through to year’s end if it made payments to the state retirement system fund on time.
“Obviously we need our records in order so (the state Comptroller’s Office) can certify our debt,” Wdowiasz said.