Monessen moves to end absence fines

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

The new majority on Monessen council — which includes Mayor Matt Shorraw and Councilman Gil Coles — voted Tuesday to repeal an ordinance approved last year in hopes of compelling the two men to attend meetings.

In March 2019, after Coles had missed a year and Shorraw about 10 months of meetings, the council members who remained — Tony Orzechowski, Lois Thomas and Dave Feehan — approved an ordinance to assess fines for continued absences. Feehan, who had been appointed to his post, lost his election bid last fall. Don Gregor filled that opening on council.

The ordinance provided for excused absences and fines of $25 per missed meeting for council members and $50 per meeting for a mayor. 

While making the motion to repeal the ordinance, Shorraw said he was never notified of the fines and he believed it was an infringement on his free speech. 

Orzechowski asked Solicitor Tim Witt how an ordinance intended to require council members to fulfill the roles they were elected to do could violate Shorraw’s rights to free speech.

Witt said the only infringement on speech he could see is if Shorraw and Coles were protesting some sort of action.

“I could see how (the ordinance) could create a chilling effect on speech in some way,” Witt said. “But I’m not saying that this ordinance in and of itself is a violation of someone’s rights in most cases.”

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