Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel is the highest paid elected municipal official and oversees a budget of more than $300 million. P-J file photo

Dunkirk Assessor Erica Munson delivered some drama during the public portion of the first Common Council meeting this month. In noting her gripes at the forum, she took aim at the highest elected position in City Hall — Mayor Kate Wdowiasz.

“It has come to my attention that there are several pressing issues that require immediate attention to foster a healthier and more productive work atmosphere,” Munson said on the evening of Feb. 4 during the public portion of the meeting. She later noted that employees’ morale “has significantly declined. City employees have expressed feelings of discontentment and disillusionment due to (a) prevailing toxic work environment.”

Munson, who also is elected by voters, did not indicate one more important point to consider: her salary when compared to the mayor. Despite Wdowiasz having more authority, the pay rate is almost equal.

According to seethroughny.net, Munson earned $54,770 in her position in 2024. Wdowiasz earns $54,500 annually — as did former Mayors Wilfred Rosas, A.J. Dolce and the late Richard Frey. In fact, it was during Frey’s last term that he saw the rate increase from the previous $39,500 in 2007.

At that time, the hike was a controversial issue. Today, pay for the position is far from being front and center.

Dunkirk is facing one of the worst municipal fiscal crises in New York state history. After increasing property taxes 84% in December, there are significant concerns as the government faces a steep task in getting out from under a $16 million hole.

For all intents and purposes, that chore falls to the mayor and Common Council. In most instances, they do not seem up to the daunting task.

Munson’s criticism may have been warranted or supported by others in City Hall. But how could morale be better?

There are serious concerns and fears regarding the city moving forward. It has no ability to borrow and is living on a shoestring.

Because of historically poor contractual negotiations that banked on revenues that were once $4 million yearly from a power plant that was shuttered in 2016, the city is overstaffed. There is no attrition — and salaries and the costs of benefits continue to rise.

In a sense, Dunkirk has devalued the position of the mayor on salary alone. In the meantime, the pay of its staff has continued to rise to $11.5 million last year. Its highest paid employee earned more than $160,000 — or $105,000 more than the person elected to run the city. Overall, of the 185 employees in the city in 2024, more than 100 employees were paid more than Wdowiasz.

Who wants that type of responsibility for that type of compensation?

To begin with, all of Chautauqua County has too many town supervisors, village and city mayors. We would be better off with much fewer than the current 400-some local elected officials. Residents here, for some unknown reason, cannot bring themselves to downsize when it comes to high-taxing government and schools.

Pay for these high-ranking positions in this current era is behind the times — not only for Wdowiasz. Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund, who oversees a nearly $40 million budget, earns more than $71,000 per year. Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson, whose village is facing a deficit at the end of its fiscal year, earns $12,000 per year.

County Executive PJ Wendel is the highest paid municipal elected leader. He earned $112,192 in 2024 — and has seen the benefit of increases during his five years at the helm. That is because the county government — with its $40 million surplus — has consistently gone overboard in spending since the sales tax was increased from 7.5% to 8% one decade ago.

As an example, its 19 part-time legislators last year approved a whopping 62% pay increase for themselves starting in 2026. In doing so, this body also did not lower county taxes — while hoarding the abundance of funds that deserves to be returned to the taxpayers.

But none of these pricy positions compare with those in our public schools. For starters, the smallest district of Ripley Central — that oversees a $9 million budget and a total of 107 kindergarten to sixth grade students, according to the state Education Department — pays its hired Superintendent William Caldwell nearly $150,000 per year. Only city police chiefs can come close to that type of wage when working in municipal government.

So what about municipal leadership? How do we find individuals who are willing to oversee multi-million budgets and can make the tough decisions while being underpaid?

Is it all about the money? Even though there have been capable candidates who have run for office in the past, it always comes down to results.

Overall, the county’s population continues to decline. Our region’s business climate pays too much in property taxes.

One option for struggling communities to consider in moving forward includes the operation of a government with a manager or administrator. This takes some major decisions out of the hands of those who are elected and allows those individuals to focus on the trivialities of potholes, broken street lights and attending ribbon cuttings. It also makes the hired manager — who is going to have to be compensated at a higher level than the mayors — accountable for keeping a watch on finances while dealing with the internal issues that include staffing challenges.

In the meantime, some of our larger municipalities are already fiscally depleted or close to running out of money while department heads and staff rake in generous wages and benefit packages. Can this region afford to continue down that road that ultimately leads to more taxation?

John D’Agostino is editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.