County lawmakers will vote today on a resolution requested by County Executive PJ Wendel asking the state Attorney General’s office to investigate Dunkirk’s budget process, audit and applicable financial documents for the city from 2014 through 2024.

“At the end of the day, we just need to make sure that if there’s any engagement from the county, we need to know exactly what has happened and how did they get into this position,” Wendel said recently.

We’re not sure we agree.

Yes, the county needs to make sure county taxpayer money isn’t wasted. And the county absolutely should be protected, as the state is, as Dunkirk reconfigures its finances. But Dunkirk’s financial failures aren’t a matter of conjecture. The facts and figures aren’t in dispute. Everyone can agree poor financial decisions over the course of a decade led to this mess.

We’re not sure the Attorney General’s involvement is necessary, however, given that the state Comptroller’s Office is heavily involved in the city’s finances right now through the Dunkirk Fiscal Recovery Act included in this year’s state budget. Dunkirk officials will be in regular contact with the Comptroller’s Office — and one would think those conversations would allay fears the county has that county taxpayers will be harmed by the issues plaguing Dunkirk.

Asking the state Attorney General for an investigation is a move geared to finding criminal wrongdoing. But requiring that sort of investigation from the state isn’t really necessary to discuss ways to help Dunkirk — unless the county doesn’t trust the state Comptroller’s Office to do its job.

Looking back to assign guilt or blame isn’t necessary here. Helping one of the county’s two cities get back to stable financial ground while protecting both city and county taxpayers is necessary. Anything that detracts from that goal should be laid aside right now.