EDITORIAL: Monessen needs mayor who actually shows up
Monessen’s last City Council meeting of 2018 was conducted like most of the others last year – with Mayor Matt Shorraw and Councilman Gil Coles nowhere to be seen.
For Shorraw, it was his 21st consecutive missed meeting. Coles had shown up once since February.
It is both shameful and inexcusable for these men to hold these positions and refuse to attend council meetings.
At the last meeting, Councilman Anthony Orzechowski, who serves as deputy mayor, reappointed Donald Byron to the city’s redevelopment authority board, after Shorraw sent a notarized letter to council saying he had appointed and issued an oath of office to Delmar Hepple to fill the post. Orzechowski explained that under third-class city code, the deputy mayor has the authority to make such an appointment when the mayor is absent. And Shorraw has been very little but absent during his first year in the mayor’s office.
His childish refusal to take part in meetings, apparently because of his fear that things won’t go to his liking, began in May. In June, Shorraw said in a post on Facebook, “I love Monessen. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be going through these struggles, but I believe in our city. However, it cannot move forward until past wrongs are made right. I refuse to allow council to set the city even farther backwards.” There was little or no elaboration from the mayor about his concerns.
By June, the city was in a tough situation because, without Shorraw and Coles in attendance, council had been unable to vote to pay bills, which had piled up to the tune of $200,000. Also, the city’s insurance coverage was about to expire, raising the prospect of a shutdown. The situation was exacerbated by the death in late May of Councilman Ron Chiaravalle, which left Orzechowski and Councilman David Feehan as the only elected officials showing up for meetings.
In late June, Coles came to his first meeting since February, allowing council to handle the pressing business. He hasn’t made an appearance since.
At that point, Shorraw indicated that he wouldn’t be showing up until Westmoreland County Court appointed a person to fill Chiaravalle’s position. Shorraw and Coles, who has given no public reason for his absences, submitted a petition to the court asking that former state lawmaker Ted Harhai be chosen for council, but the court, in early August, instead selected Lois Thomas to fill the vacancy. Shorraw and Coles remained nowhere to be seen.
The Observer-Reporter emailed questions to Shorraw after Thomas’ swearing-in, which the mayor didn’t answer, instead sending a message that read, in part, “I have still chosen to stay away from these meetings, as council has been combative, verbally towards me.”
Poor baby.
As most are aware, Monessen is struggling. City Council recently approved a 2019 budget that includes a fairly significant tax increase. Also, Monessen has sought help from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s early intervention program.
Clearly, the city needs a mayor and council members who are fully committed to helping it rebound. Shorraw and Coles have proven repeatedly that they aren’t sufficiently interested. They should do the right thing and resign. Since that seems unlikely, the members of council who do care enough to come to meetings should pursue any and all avenues available to have them removed from office.
Enough is enough.