DUNKIRK — Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz criticized state lawmakers Tuesday for advocating a city financial control board.

The mayor spoke at a Common Council meeting. Wdowiasz initially repeated statements touting her administration’s work on city finances, including the investigation and arrest of former Treasurer Mark Woods for allegedly swiping about $120,000.

She then bashed the city control board idea advocated by local representatives in Albany, State Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor. Wdowiasz countered with an idea of her own: A regional financial control board.

“Accountability is happening, oversight is happening, reform is also happening, and we are moving forward together,” she said. “I understand state and county leaders are renewing their call for a fiscal control board. However, if they are serious and truly care about our community and want to actually take action, instead of just continually talking about things they know nothing about, they should be calling for a regional control board.”

A regional entity “would not place an additional financial burden on our already tax strapped residents of the city,” Wdowiasz continued. The board “would support the county’s proposal of merging essential services and departments, changes that should have happened decades ago, but now need to happen sooner rather than later – to reduce duplications and lower long term costs, which will stabilize the surrounding communities across northern Chautauqua County.”

Wdowiasz said of Borrello and Molitor, “The city needs those lawmakers to actually step up, and actually understand our issues, stop spreading lies about what they perceive as our problems. Because honestly, they have not even attempted to contact myself or any members of my staff to verify any of their statements.”

Wdowiasz concluded, “At this time, the city of Dunkirk is calling on our state and county legislatures, our state senator and assemblyman, to actually step up, show up in the city and be here for its residents — the people that they represent.”