DUNKIRK, NY (WKBW) — On Tuesday, the Dunkirk Common Council passed a walk-in proposal to add $2.9 million to the 2025 Budget, lessening the tax rate for homeowners.
In September, the mayor announced a 108% tax rate increase, pushing home assessments from $18.12 per assessed $1,000 to nearly $38 per $1,000.
So, the newly adopted proposal would make it $31.16 per $1,000.
For a City with more than 25% of residents living under the poverty line, the mayor's budget was a hard pill to swallow.
"If I were to describe it in one word, I would say unprecedented," said Nick Weiser, Councilman at Large.
"It's a community with a 25% poverty rate and a significant portion of the population who's on a fixed income, so for us as a Council, our chief concern here has been lessening that proposed tax increase and getting to something a little bit more manageable for our city's residents," said Weiser.
According to council members, Mayor Kate Wdowiasz's 2025 budget proposal was set at $26 million to cover an over $16 million deficit; the debt is partly due to previous budget mismanagement.
"I guess they had millions of dollars of debts they did not tell us about. They did not plan for the NRG and the loss of millions of dollars that brought in," said Natalie Luczkowiak, First Ward Councilwoman.
Mayor Wdowiasz has 10 days to review and amend any parts of the budget before the deadline of Dec 15.
