Monessen: Redevelopment Authority target of Sunshine Act suit
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
More than two dozen residents, city officials and former city officials, led by Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw, have filed a lawsuit against two officers of the Redevelopment Authority for alleged Sunshine Act violations.
Shorraw, who is representing himself, filed the lawsuit Friday in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas against Redevelopment Authority Chairman Lou Mavrakis and the authority’s treasurer, Ron Mozer. Shorraw said he filed the suit in his capacity as a private resident, not as mayor.
The 15 residents’ suit claims the Redevelopment Authority didn’t advertise all of its meetings, which is a violation of the Sunshine Act.
“This should be resolved and the authority is willing to sit down with the mayor and resolve this nonsense if there is anything to be resolved,” said Joseph Dalfonso, Redevelopment Authority solicitor. “This lawsuit would not have occurred if it was not a week out from the election.”
Mozer has challenged Shorraw for the Democratic nomination for mayor in next week’s primary. Mavrakis and Mozer both independently filed lawsuits against Shorraw and councilmen Don Gregor and Gil Coles for Sunshine Act violations that occurred in a Jan. 6, 2020 meeting.
Mavrakis received a default judgment because the lawyer representing the defense did not respond appropriately or by given deadlines, according to Westmoreland County Judge Chris Scherer. The defendants agreed to make a $500 donation to the Salvation Army’s Mon Valley Citadel in Monessen.
Mozer ultimately withdrew his suit.
Gregor and Coles are also plaintiffs in the suit against Mavrakis and Mozer, acting in their personal capacity.
Other plaintiffs named in the suit are former mayor Mary Jo Smith, former mayor and former state Rep. Ted Harhai, Kathleen Harhai, Devona Carter, Paula Fink, Johna Panepinto, Donna Koltash, Keith Koltash, Claudese West, Mary Wisyanski, Linzi Troilo and former councilman Dr. Martin Dudas.
No other officers of the Redevelopment Authority or the authority itself have been named in the suit.
Mavrakis said he doesn’t understand why Mozer was named in the lawsuit at all.
“I’m the chairman, if you want to file a suit, why file against Ron?” Mavrakis said. “It’s because it’s an election year, naturally.”
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