Mar 16, 2022 3 min read

CHARLEROI – Council has taken the first steps toward hiring a new borough manager.

Meanwhile, the borough will be working to get the funding from the state Department of Community and Economic Development to pay for a portion of the salary of the prior borough manager.

Council voted unanimously March 9 to advertise for a borough manager.

Applications will be taken until April 12, with the goal to hire the new manager in May. Salary requirements are to be submitted by applicants.

The position has been vacant since January. Council voted that month to approve a personnel move, without getting into the specifics of the motion. When council met Feb. 9, it approved a separation agreement with former borough manager Joe Manning and accepted his resignation.

Council approved a three-year contract with Manning in June 2021 at an annual salary of $60,000.

As a part of the separation agreement, which was obtained by the Observer-Reporter through the Right-to-Know act, the parties agreed that Manning’s employment with the borough ended Jan. 6. He is to be paid for four months following that date unless he obtains subsequent employment.

The position was recommended by the state Department of Community and Economic Development during its early intervention with the borough to avoid a financial crisis. As part of the agreement, the state was expected to pay a portion of Manning’s salary through the Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP).

So far, the borough has not received any of that money. 

Councilwoman Jeannine Motycki said the borough is to receive $96,000 over a three-year period to help pay the borough manager’s salary.

Solicitor Sean Logue said he was contacted by a representative of DCED, who said the organization has not received an invoice from the borough, which will need to be submitted for the time Manning served as borough manager.

“DCED is saying they will pay the invoice if we properly submit it,” Logue said Tuesday. 

He has said the prior council did not set up the proper payment plan.

Logue said he was told by DCED that the contract was terminated upon Manning’s separation from the position. 

“When they learned the borough manager had separated from Charleroi, they felt there was no reason to have a contract anymore since there was no borough manager that had a salary to be reimbursed,” Logue said. 

Councilman Larry Celaschi said he and Councilwoman Nancy Ellis will meet to discuss the matter and give their information to Logue.

“We can try to figure out some numbers, come back to the solicitor,” Celaschi said. “If he sees fit with what we put together, maybe we can attempt to invoice the DCED at that point in time.”

Logue said there are other steps that need to be taken to prepare the invoice.

“I have to give the borough secretary a new list of things to search for in the records,” Logue said. “If she does find however the scheme was set up, then we simply submit the invoice and DCED informs me that they should be willing to pay it. I do think at the end of the day, Charleroi is going to get paid the portion that’s due for the manager’s contract.”