Dec 25, 2024
OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Town of Dunkirk Supervisor Priscilla Penfold stated the Town has received numerous calls from residents voicing concerns with the City of Dunkirk’s tax increase, mistaking the increase for the Town of Dunkirk, a separate entity.
The Town of Dunkirk shares its name with the city, but it does not share the same financial nightmare.
The Town of Dunkirk has made a point in recent years to distance itself from the City and other nearby entities, instead focusing on clinging to its own identity. Apparently, many of its residents did not get the message.
According to Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold, the Town of Dunkirk has recently fielded several phone calls from “irate” residents believing their property taxes were set to increase 84%, as is the case for City of Dunkirk residents. Members of the Town Board and the Town Clerk’s office have been contacted by angry and/or concerned residents consistently while the City’s budget crisis reached its boiling point.
Penfold noted that whenever there is a closure due to weather or other circumstances, which has been a frequent occurrence this year due to several recent storms, she always stresses to differentiate between the Town and the City when contacting television and radio stations when reporting news of the Town. The OBSERVER has been the only media outlet to attend public meetings or hearings for the Town of Dunkirk’s budget presentation or regular Town Board meetings in the past two years.
“They would be very upset if I shut down the city,” Penfold joked.
Town Board member Phil Leone added, “People don’t know that there is a Town of Dunkirk and a City of Dunkirk. Some of the people in Erie County say, ‘Oh, you live in Dunkirk-Fredonia.’ They are the same thruway exit. They don’t understand that Dunkirk is one place, Fredonia is another place, and there is a City of Dunkirk and a Town of Dunkirk, so they think that our taxes have been raised.”
Prior to the Board’s comments, resident Jay Warren spoke in favor of collaboration between municipalities during the public comment portion of the meeting. Warren brought up his stance in light of recent OBSERVER articles referencing collaboration between fire and police departments. The Town of Dunkirk has two Fire Departments to serve its residents and contracts with the City of Dunkirk for police protection.
The East Town and West Town of Dunkirk Fire Protection Contracts were both officially approved for the 2025 calendar year. The preliminary figures were presented prior to the approval of the Town Budget. Supervisor Penfold was also authorized to make budgetary adjustments to meet State Audit and Control requirements.
The Town of Dunkirk Justice Court handled 200 cases in the month of November and turned over $17,730.50 to the Town for distribution. Additionally, the Town Clerk’s office collected $2,413 in the month of November, including $2,225 in zoning fees.
The Town of Dunkirk appointed Town Clerk Rebecca Yacklon as Tax Collector and keeper of Vital Statistics. Emma Newton, the Deputy Town Clerk, was appointed as the Deputy Tax Collector and Deputy of Vital Statistics. The Town Board also approved the 2025 holiday closing dates and the 2025 Town Officials list.
Also of note, Town Board members Jean Crane and Bob Price recently went door-to-door to encourage residents of the Shorewood Water District to sign easements. Their efforts were successful, but there are still easements outstanding as the Town looks to proceed with its upcoming water line replacement project.
The annual organizational meeting of the Dunkirk Town Board is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 4 p.m. at the Town Hall. The Board will meet again two weeks later on Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. with a public hearing regarding the proposed Solar Liberty solar project on Williams Street. The public hearing began earlier this year but was later adjourned to a later date to allow for more time for updated documentation and more time for Town officials to review the proposal.
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