Monessen’s fine ordinance may be changed

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

When a new Monessen City Council is seated in 2022, the members might be paid by the meeting if an ordinance set to be introduced next week passes.

The ordinance would eliminate the need for the law council passed in March 2019 that imposed fines on council members who missed meetings without an excused absence. 

That ordinance was created after Mayor Matt Shorraw and Councilman Gil Coles had, at that point, missed about a year’s worth of meetings. 

“Instead of a salary, this would make it so if you don’t go to a meeting, you don’t get paid,” Councilman Don Gregor said at a workshop meeting Tuesday. 

The ordinance will not go into effect until the new council is seated because the state constitution doesn’t permit a sitting council to change its own salary structure.

Gregor asked Solicitor Tim Witt how the council was able to enact the ordinance in 2019 to fine councilmen, as in his opinion that changed the salary of members who didn’t attend meetings.

Witt said he would have to look into that, because generally under the Third Class City Code and the state constitution, an elected official’s compensation cannot be changed during their term.

Gregor asked if the previous ordinance could have been illegal, which Witt also plans to check on.

“I’m not saying it was a bad thing to do. But if we can’t do this until 2022, how could they do what they did while he was still in office?” Gregor asked, gesturing toward Shorraw.

Councilman Tony Orzechowski, who was on council and attended meetings at the time, said the difference was the previous ordinance didn’t change salary structures.

“What changed was, if you didn’t make it (to a meeting) and you didn’t have a reason, you got fined for it,” Orzechowski said.

Gregor asked why the new ordinance had to wait for the new council, but the ordinance setting fines took effect right away.

Orzechowski said he didn’t know why the code and constitution set it out differently.

Orzechowski doesn’t understand why the new ordinance is necessary when the existing law is already on the books. 

Gregor said he didn’t think the $25 fine for a councilman and $50 fine for a mayor was enough.

“If I don’t show up to work, I don’t get paid,” Gregor said. 

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Wednesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.