In other news: With 39 officers, the bonuses totaled $117,000. "The Festival of Trees is a true community event," Mayor Mike Cherepko said. "That's circumventing the system, taking advantage of his position -- something that shouldn't be happening," John Luenberger said. We were family. "Businesses are going to come and go, just like people come and go," Brewster said. I would have a hard time arguing that the city is overpaying people based on raw numbers alone.Webmaster - December 08, 2009, But, comparing those towns to McKeesport doesnt add up. "It depends on how you look at it. Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data. I think the Whole Foods idea is a good one, John. Washowich, a four-term mayor, passed away Friday in the comfort of his home with his family by his side. "That's a $22,000 savings for you as the home builder, right?" But, please for the love of God, dont raise my taxes. impacted so many lives in his 81 years that I am confident each and every one of those individuals Lou met could relate their own special remembrance. Keenon Mikell, who leads the health and wellness program at First Step Recovery Homes, approaches the nonprofits gym on Market Street in McKeesport. The salary range for a City Mayor job is from $76,635 to $105,345 per year in Mckeesport, PA. Click on the filter to check out City Mayor job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly. Base Salary (USD) $780,849/year View Hourly Rate Low:$676,965 Once a hotspot, now a liability, the landmark could get a shot at restoration if funding allows. ActivePaper Archive McKeesport mayor to apply for police grants - Mon Valley Independent, 3/5/2020. Of course, the History section is done, since that is all anyone can focus on around here.Adam - December 08, 2009, John, next time I need to call 911, I will just call Sarah and ask her to connect me to to Sherriff Taylor, unless he is at Floyds getting a shaveAdam - December 08, 2009, All right, simmer down, or Barney will have to nip this in the bud. Pay ranges for the same job title may differ based on the location and the responsibilities, skills, experience, and other requirements for a specific job. Im talking about money to help First Step with the homeless, with the drug and alcohol issues, and dont tell me you dont think theres an opioid crisis here in the community.. An overdue $69 electricity bill was Giles latest worry. He admires San Franciscos Delancey Street Foundation, a self-help community and job training facility for ex-convicts with substance use histories. As things got worse, the boss, as I was privileged to call him, partnered with the newly created Allegheny Regional Asset District. Now, can we be like McClatchy and trade for some good prospects?Adam - December 08, 2009, This whole marketing thing is what worries me. Lawson does not regret losing her old house and property. Also, the city wiped away tax liens worth nearly $10,000. But its a bad thing if we dont have property. Graduating in Pennsylvania is about to get more complicated. Aug 01 - Aug 31, 2014 "Well, yeah. I know the kid," Lawson said.Cherepko said he remembers Lawson but he did not know where she was living when he took her property. You are reading the December 07, 2009 entry of Tube City Almanac. var address = 'tubecitytiger'; 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WTAE-TV. Mikell said his only option was to hire a lawyer to fight the city, but he didnt think he could afford one. All rights reserved. "That sounds like a pretty good deal," Van Osdol said. When the call came to share, Aaron Bunting leapt to the podium. Michele Matuch, president of the board of the nonprofit McKees Point Development Group, said shes pleading with the authority to proceed with the development of a new Penn McKee Hotel, either by restoring the existing building or building a new one on the site. That was despite the fact that in those early years, Lous salary was $22,000 per year, while he and Jean were trying to raise two growing young sons who loved to eat! BECOME A MEMBER. I wonder how many other businesses have asked for a small amount of help but were told no becuase we had to offer people like echostar dealsAdam - December 09, 2009, It appears to me that the City Council is doing the best it can with the revenues it receives and Im always impressed to read about the grants awarded to the City. "Oh, God. Next years goal: demolition of 200 to 300 abandoned homes. Glassdoor provides our best prediction for total pay in today's job market, along with other types of pay like cash bonuses, stock bonuses, profit sharing, sales commissions, and tips. The story of the mayor's home starts with a fire in May 2012. He was faced with a nearly impossible task and had to make critical decisions to assure streets were cleared of snow, garbage was collected, and that fire and police would remain in place and have the equipment necessary to maintain safety for residents and business community alike. These people legit are like my family.. Box 94, McKeesport, PA 15134. Dec 2016 If you disable cookies, this site will not work properly. In the coming weeks and years, I hope everyone who knew Lou will share their stories. The Mayor acts as the chief executive of the City in performing all acts required to be performed under the laws of the State of California and our City Charter. At council meetings they average 5 to 10 people showing up to speak. McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko praised the police department's response to an officer that was shot outside of the department. Now, North Huntingdon pays their police chief 40 percent more than McKeesport. Read more: In McKeesport, a demolition drive pauses at the door of a once-glamorous hotel. Gerald Mitchell, a First Step Recovery Homes resident, becomes emotional as he tells a group of residents about his difficult road. Help us inform people in the Pittsburgh region with more stories like this support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation. "Oh, God. A service of Tube City Community Media Inc., a non-profit based in McKeesport, Pa. If the Penn McKee cant ultimately be saved, that reality wont define the city, he added. She just wishes that the mayor -- who she knew as a child -- had contacted her first. Monday night's budget meeting seems to have changed his mind. Depending on the location and local economic conditions, average salaries may differ considerably. Why are we struggling every year to try to meet a budget when other agencies dont have that problem? he wondered aloud. Cherepko said McKeesports biggest problem is the perception of decline created by negative TV news coverage. Cherepko paid the city just $7,500. Malinchak disclosed after Tuesday's city council workshop that he is seeking more than the 100 signatures required by state law for a place on the fall general election ballot. Weve got TONS of space here, 2 parking garages, and a major highway running right the hell through the middle of town. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. That maiden voyage was further complicated when it the city hit an economic iceberg. He said First Step was in arrears by $89,000, and mulled whether a utility would really shut him off over $69. Here are some companies in the same or similar industry as City Of Mckeesport. The American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] steered $130 billion to local governments, including $24.7 million to McKeesport. To comment on any story at Tube City Almanac, email tubecitytiger@gmail.com, send a tweet to www.twitter.com/tubecityonline, visit our Facebook page, or write to Tube City Almanac, P.O. Giles planned to rehab it into more recovery housing. Lawson now lives in an apartment, where she got a visit from a McKeesport official asking her to give up her property. The federal government, everyone at the table knew, was dishing out billions of dollars. If you ever played the Daily Number (I didnt) you know how funny that is, and when the young lady running the lottery machine said you cant do that, everyone got a good laugh but not at my expense. His First Step family is facing a crisis. Maybe there was something First Step could do to get a tiny piece of that. The building, however, deteriorated. Mayor Lous time in office spawned a second park, named for one of his friends teacher, coach and city councilman Richard Gergely. He gave me the money and asked me to play a triple number in a box.. Or even a big Market District. On top of the recession, the mayor said, the city has continued to serve one of Allegheny County's poorest and oldest populations, yet has avoided state-controlled Act 47 "distressed" status. In effect, city redevelopment and individual recovery which would ideally reinforce each other are instead colliding. "Tube City Online" and "The Tube City Almanac" are trademarks of Tube City Community Media Inc. registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "Well, I can understand how it could be perceived as that," Cherepko said. Honey, I was in the house about 60 years," Lawson said. "Well, yeah. If the homes are at their capacity of 23 men, and a reasonable number are working, thats meaningful revenue. All content Tube City Community Media Inc., a non-profit corporation chartered for charitable and educational purposes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, unless otherwise noted. Thats when Lou made three of his most important decisions. How much do City of McKeesport employees make? Action News Investigates has learned that the mayor of McKeesport got the property for his house on the cheap, using a city program. More by Rich Lord. The recovery organization is struggling to pay the bills, to make payroll and to salvage its relationship with city government. The measure of a persons life is often determined by his or her time and place. or 'What does (Marshall Drive) mean to me?' The McKeesport hospital was also part of a patrol plan. A company like that would have to be aggressively recruited. Only three new homes, including the mayor's, were built in the past decade. Lou also entertained requests from a street person named Bill who panhandled him for a buck or two everyday on the street or in his office. The mayor always had $1 or $5 for Bill, and told him to use it for a meal, not cigarettes or a beer. (Lou probably knew better but didnt ask.). Nevertheless, his leadership style and moxie as the head of the city established these legacies because he understood what he knew and more importantly, knew what he didnt. Its been a wreck for real. He reported for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Id hate to see it go, said Robert Baum, owner of a real estate agency in the city, and one of three members of the public to testify at the hearing. Rich Lord February 15, 2022. A higher average City Mayor salary indicates a higher cost of living too. In 2001, First Step bought a house on Shaw Avenue for $7,000. Cherepko said he remembers Lawson but he did not know where she was living when he took her property. What I need to do is start to take my recovery to heart.. Nov 2016 "Could anyone get the city to get rid of all these tax liens, knock down three buildings, to build a home?" McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource). Two abandoned houses on East Street in McKeesport were torched. Cherepko had a lot to trumpet at the Oct. 6 meeting of McKeesport City Council. Im out of answers otherwise.Webmaster - December 08, 2009, I guess we all really want the same in the end. Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same Lawson now lives in an apartment, where she got a visit from a McKeesport official asking her to give up her property. Giles left while other attendees gathered around Cherepko. But even if demolition cant be avoided, he told the authority board, I want to be able to say we tried everything.. document.write(domain); Unless of course you can save 300,000 dollars for each of your children by the time they start college. (Lake. Mar 2016 I relapsed a couple of days ago, Gerald Mitchell told the group at First Steps chilly clinical office. All that's left are fragments of the foundation. Mayor Q has led Kansas City in launching an innovative Zero Fair Transit imitative, making all public transit fare free in Kansas City, and serves as Vice Chair for Transit on the United States Conference of Mayors Transportation Committee. It had cost him jobs, landed him in legal trouble and filled him with shame: He skipped his mothers funeral to get high, he told the group. Individual salaries will, of course, vary depending on the job, department, location, as well as the individual skills and education of each employee. Nov 2015 The salary paid can be different for the same position in City Of Mckeesport based on experience, skills, and education. Eventually, developers will be able to assemble parcels of land and build tracts of decent, attractive, and hopefully affordable housing. Are schools ready?At Pitt, CMU, We're workers when they want us to be, but then we're graduate students when they don't want to pay usUPreps resets: A school meant to bring Pitts resources to Hill students goes back to the drawing board. McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said he cant help First Step because the organization owes the city reimbursement for costs incurred demolishing a building it owned. It was here where his skill sets with people and decision-making were honed, and the team went onto such successes that the program was recognized not only in Western Pennsylvania but throughout the country. This story was fact-checked by Amelia Winger. Last month, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko hosted a delegation from three federal agencies (Department of Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture) advising on funding possibilities to speed the redevelopment process along. One of the collective solutions was to collaborate on the task of identifying outside funding sources without the need to raise taxes. One was to leave the Allegheny County Community Development Program and receive federal grant monies directly from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. He said he tried to walk away from the argument, but Giles kept drawing him back. Im not even going to start.Adam - December 07, 2009, By all means, Adam, start, start!Webmaster - December 08, 2009, Here goes..OK. First, it seems the only business in McKeesport is the politics business. I wont complain about how much they get paid. Box 94, McKeesport, Pa. 15134. Jan 2017 Any day could consist of fire, medical, or personal emergencies or residents or visitors in need of a various forms of help. The pending loss of 600 jobs at Dish Network's call center is a blow the city anticipated, the mayor said, adding that "three or four" businesses have expressed interest in taking the company's place in the RIDC industrial park on the former National Works site. McKeesports main ZIP code, 15132, has seen 153 fatal drug overdoses since 2008, according to OverdoseFreePA, a state-funded project that tracks the epidemic throughout the state. To keep First Step afloat, he cut his own salary, once $82,500, to $65,000, he said. The midpoint of the salary range for Monroevilles IT director is $30K more than in McKeesport. Rich Lord is PublicSources economic development reporter. The cost of doing nothing except roof repair, and then allowing the building to sit, would also be around $1 million, though that would not advance economic revitalization or remove public safety hazards, he noted. Well, not really," Cherepko said. The authority board then has to report its decision to the EPA, though it faces no firm deadline to do so. Plus the ARPA funding was coming. "I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to utilize resources available to us to help make this dream a reality," Cherepko said.Lawson does not regret losing her old house and property. Even after spending millions to save the north wing, the city would only get an empty shell. If you're unsure of how to do this, click here for a quick guide. The process comes as Cherepko gears up for potentially hundreds of building demolitions under his McKeesport Rising initiative, but also as some in the city seek to preserve hints of its glory days as home to mills and 55,000 residents. Aww gee, the Penn McKee. With the help of those federal community development funds, garbage collection was privatized and its employees segued into community development jobs, police officers who were faced with layoffs started walking beats (a precursor to the later concept of community policing), and resources were redirected to update fire and police facilities and equipment to modern standards. If they werent under his roofs, some might be homeless, committing crimes to support their addictions. 32-year-old Officer Sean Sluganski was shot and killed after responding to a domestic. The opportunity to restore this building can do so much for the city just from the whole perspective of how people view McKeesport from the outside, the mayor said. In August, the city included it in an eminent domain case in which it sought ownership of 48 blighted properties. If it can restore a 96-year-old landmark, McKeesport will send a powerful signal to skeptics, the citys mayor said at a public hearing on the fate of the long-abandoned Penn McKee Hotel. Does North Huntingdon have 40 percent more crime? Sep 2015 Since the partnership launched in July 2021, agents and officers have seized 46 . The students that are learning at our world class universities in nearby Oakland take what theyve learned here and start new industries and expand the US economy (some place else). Avg. It sits near the Great Allegheny Passage trail, the McKeesport Palisades event center and the McKees Point Marina, making the site a potential cornerstone of the citys recovery bid. "I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to utilize resources available to us to help make this dream a reality," Cherepko said. "The good old days that we think of today are gone," he said. It was then that Lou Washowich became a true leader. They occurred in prison. Thats the seventh-highest among some 140 ZIP codes in the county. Get an estimated calculation of how much you should be earning and insight into your career options. Do not back up, as severe tire damage may result. I am not attacking anyone personally, but, over $40,000 for an IT guy? In fact, the owner said she paid to have the old house demolished. Reducing salaries would be a penny wise and a pound foolish. Unfortunately the city has been driving business away for so many years it is hard for the public opinion to switch gears. The cost of totally demolishing the building would be around $1 million, he added. Nevertheless, it did not make his maiden voyage as the mayor easy. City Of Mckeesport pays an average salary of $780,849 and salaries range from a low of $676,965 to a high of $899,293. If echostar moves out and a huge successful shopping district moves in, I would agree with people being paid these sums, but when we are in a depressed area, I do not. I would not have bought the property with all the liens.". "We have to learn to accept the cultural changes that have occurred." In fact, the owner said she paid to have the old house demolished.People at a McKeesport shopping complex who spoke with Action News Investigates were unaware of the city program and skeptical of the mayor's motives. In addition, the mayor said, the city will continue to focus on "quality of life" projects, such as the extension of Marshall Drive now underway and next year's planned reconstruction of Fifth Avenue, Downtown, and West Fifth Avenue in the 10th Ward. McKeesport's mayor has declared a state of emergency after the city's public works garage caught fire Sunday morning, damaging vehicles and equipment. document.write('