Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Comptroller Appointment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council appoints Tracy Smith Dengler as city comptroller amid questions over advertising and long-term funding
Summary
After public comment and council discussion about transparency and future budget impacts, the Common Council voted to appoint Tracy Smith Dengler to a six‑year term as the city's first comptroller under the reformed charter; one council member voted no citing unanswered salary questions for years three onward.
The Dunkirk Common Council on June 2 voted to appoint Tracy Smith Dengler as the city’s comptroller under the newly revised charter. The appointment was the subject of public comment and council discussion: County legislator Bob Bankowski told the council he supported the position but questioned why the mayor had not advertised the job, posted a description or disclosed a salary range, and urged the council to consider tabling the resolution until the process was more transparent.
Council members and staff defended the appointment as consistent with the charter and emphasized that the first two years of the position will be funded by an outside grant that also covers the GovSense software rollout. As Council member Lars Weiser put it on the record, “How much are we gonna pay the controller per year? ... I couldn't get that answer from anybody in this building.” The measure passed on a roll call vote with one dissenting vote; the clerk recorded the resolution as adopted and the appointee will serve a six‑year term under the charter provisions discussed at the meeting.
