Shocking 84% Property Tax Surge Approved by Council: What You Need to Know!
A moment captured at a pivotal city council meeting.
On a brisk, clear morning in Dunkirk, the air was filled with anticipation as the city unveiled a staggering new tax rate: an eye-popping 84% increase!
During a special Saturday session, the Common Council voted unanimously to finalize the budget for 2025, setting the property tax rate at $33.82 per $1,000 of assessed value. This number, while lower than the initially proposed 108% hike from Mayor Kate Wdowiasz back in September, still represents a hefty increase from last year’s rate.
The council managed to trim the initial proposal down to around 69%, but that figure relied on a water and wastewater rate adjustment that hasn’t yet come to fruition. Councilperson-at-large Nick Weiser pointed out that the anticipated revenue from this adjustment was removed, leading to the final 84% increase.
Despite the mayor’s veto of the council’s proposed amendments, the council members stood firm, voting unanimously to override her decision. Wdowiasz, speaking after the meeting, expressed no surprise at the outcome.
She noted that while the council cut some part-time positions, the actual savings from those cuts remain unclear. “I’m not in favor of eliminating positions in such an abrupt swipe of the pen,” she remarked. “I really think that more thought should have gone into it — and here we are, the 14th of December, passing a budget.” The council was under legal obligation to finalize the budget by December 15.
The mayor continued, “I’m hoping we don’t have any shortfalls this year, because this version of the budget gives us absolutely zero room for overage.”
Weiser pointed out that the budget is burdened with “longstanding contractual obligations which cannot easily be undone” without incurring costly legal repercussions. He emphasized that the council will continue seeking avenues for further cuts and potential revenue boosts, including the previously discussed water and sewer rate changes.
For now, he stated, “You have to be realistic about not overprojecting on revenues, especially if you don’t know what the revenues will be.”
Councilperson Nancy Nichols echoed this sentiment, highlighting their attempts to bring the tax increase down to a more manageable level for residents. “We tried very hard to bring it down to a more reasonable number for our taxpaying base,” she shared. “We’ve had discussions about going on a payment plan so people don’t have to pay (their taxes in) one lump sum. We are very disappointed we did not bring it down to the low 60s.”
Nichols didn’t hold back in her criticism, alleging that both Wdowiasz and former Mayor Willie Rosas contributed to the current financial predicament. “We didn’t put ourselves in this position, Willie did,” she asserted. “All these budgets that we were told were balanced, weren’t balanced. This is the most honest budget we’ve had for eight years.”
Weiser’s efforts as a newcomer in the council have been noteworthy, with Nichols praising his work during this challenging budget cycle. “It has been many, many sleepless nights” she concluded, reflecting the intensity of the budget discussions.
