Graduating in Pennsylvania is about to get more complicated. After they moved back to his hometown Lou and Jean were always a team he sold insurance, operated a pizza shop in Grandview, worked for the Redevelopment Authority of the City of McKeesport (a harbinger of things to come), owned a sporting goods store, and became a coach of the McKeesport Little Tigers football program. How much does a City Mayor make in Mckeesport, PA? 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. Mayor Lous time in office spawned a second park, named for one of his friends teacher, coach and city councilman Richard Gergely. A service of Tube City Community Media Inc., a non-profit based in McKeesport, Pa. Management took the running of the city seriously, and worked with the police in trying to make it a safe place. "Absolutely -- for a home, commercial business, whatever," Cherepko said.Unlike the mayor, a woman who owns one of the few recently built homes in McKeesport said she didn't get a dime's worth of help from the city. Action News Investigates has learned that the mayor of McKeesport got the property for his house on the cheap, using a city program.Mayor Michael Cherepko says he was given no special favors, but the mayor is the first and only person in McKeesport who has used this program to build a house.WATCH: Paul Van Osdol's investigationThe story of the mayor's home starts with a fire in May 2012. The building, however, deteriorated. I wont complain about how much they get paid. 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. Well, not really," Cherepko said. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most. 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. Nip it!John M. - December 09, 2009, Please can someone guide me to the citys light switch so I can turn it off and we ( all the decent citizens still left) can all finally leaveCox's Jimmy - December 09, 2009, I get this feeling that if we all got free chocolate ice cream and $2,000 tax rebate checks, half of us would bitch because we wanted vanilla, and others would complain about the lines at the bank.Webmaster - December 09, 2009, So true. If you keep getting redirected to this page, please enable cookies. . 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 us, UPreps resets: A school meant to bring Pitts resources to Hill students goes back to the drawing board, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 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. It is like comparing my house to a house in Monroeville for property taxes. Action News Investigates has learned that the mayor of McKeesport got the property for his house on the cheap, using a city program.Mayor Michael Cherepko says he was given no special favors, but . Lawson does not regret losing her old house and property. The Tube City Almanac "That's circumventing the system, taking advantage of his position -- something that shouldn't be happening," John Luenberger said. Click the city name to learn more about the City Mayor pay level in these cities. Plus the ARPA funding was coming. But he also has larger obligations, including the four buildings and seven employees. They occurred in prison. "I thought they could at least have given me a dollar, or the mayor could have come and thanked me because he grew up there. Tube City Online is edited by Jason Togyer, member, National Writers Union, AFL-CIO, and Online News Association. document.write('" title="Email Jason Togyer">'); The story of the mayor's home starts with a fire in May 2012. Individual salaries will, of course, vary depending on the job, department, location, as well as the individual skills and education of each employee. Then the public comment period started, and again Giles took to the podium. McKeesport city controller Raymond Malinchak confirmed that he is circulating petitions, seeking signatures for an independent bid for mayor of McKeesport. We've identified six states where the typical salary for a Mayor job is above the national average. CBS News Pittsburgh: Free 24/7 News CBS Pittsburgh App Mayor Michael Cherepko estimated that 99% of the people that know anything about McKeesport can relate to the Penn McKee. For that reason, the fate of the old hotel, empty for 30 years, will resonate well beyond the borders of the city of 17,727. With funding from RAD, Mayor Lou was able to support the operations of Renziehausen Park by establishing it as a regional destination point for a range of recreational pursuits including trails, sports (both youth and adult), pavilions for picnics, and the restoration of Lake Emilie as a fishing lake all of this in a city that was broke! "Tube City Online" and "The Tube City Almanac" are trademarks of Tube City Community Media Inc. registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And what exactly does a switchboard operator do, Mabel? As things got worse, the boss, as I was privileged to call him, partnered with the newly created Allegheny Regional Asset District. The average salary of City Of Mckeesport jobs will vary according to location, department, and job description. I would however, like to see more efforts being made to market, or attract small businesses to the industrial sites in the City. The arsonists were later convicted and sent to prison. Maybe there was something First Step could do to get a tiny piece of that. MCKEESPORT - Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today with McKeesport Police Department Chief Adam Alfer and Mayor Michael Cherepko the impact from the ongoing partnership of the Office of Attorney General's Strategic Response Team working with local police departments to combat crime in the Mon Valley. And it has such a huge amount of information.oops.Obviously it carries the same message that those in power have been saying about McKeesport for years.Coming Soon. Whole Foods would be good. 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 us, UPreps resets: A school meant to bring Pitts resources to Hill students goes back to the drawing board, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Monroeville and North Huntingdon have their budgets online, and you can compare their expenditures with what McKeesport is paying: Unfortunately, we dont own everything. With 39 officers, the bonuses totaled $117,000. Click here if you wish to opt out and view the full site. Help us inform people in the Pittsburgh region with more stories like this support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation. While this was a good choice for the city, it made Lou no friends and cost him political capital in the region. "The good old days that we think of today are gone," he said. MCKEESPORT, Pa. (KDKA) -- The mayor of McKeesport has ordered the closure of the Versailles Avenue Bridge due to infrastructure safety concerns. This riverfront park evolved into a site for concerts and ultimately a marina, which was built after he left office. The two had planned to meet to discuss First Steps funding needs, but instead argued about a call Giles made to the editor of the Tube City Almanac, an online news outlet covering the Mon Valley. She could have kept her property, but only if she paid off the delinquent taxes.The mayor hopes to move into his new home in the next month. var address = 'tubecitytiger'; The McKeesport community is mourning the loss of one of their police officers who died in the line of duty. 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. Cherepko said McKeesports biggest problem is the perception of decline created by negative TV news coverage. She just wishes that the mayor -- who she knew as a child -- had contacted her first. The McKeesport City Redevelopment Authority now owns the property. 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. Phone: 412-675-5020. 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. Avg. I want to get my life together for the first time in my life and have my family be proud of me, he said. This story was made possible with financial support through the American Press Institute. 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. Ever heard of a phone system? 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. The promise of rents, plus the EPA grant, state funds, federal tax credits, philanthropic donations and maybe even community crowdfunding could conceivably raise the money, he said. To keep First Step afloat, he cut his own salary, once $82,500, to $65,000, he said. Jan 2017 Everything is on the table get cut, and it will certainly be painful. Its a formula Giles and his team have been honing for 30 years, even as epidemics of substance abuse and overdose course through the city around it. Despite the clashes at council, Giles held out hope for detente with the mayor. How much do City of McKeesport employees make? Aug 2015 I will miss you, Boss, and hope to see you again someday up there. Once a hotspot, now a liability, the landmark could get a shot at restoration if funding allows. I think the Mon Valley could support something like that. 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. Next years goal: demolition of 200 to 300 abandoned homes. Cherepko paid the city just $7,500. Apr 2016 . Washowich, who served as mayor from 1980 to 1995, . MOST READ PUBLICSOURCE STORIES "Oh, God. Are schools ready? Lebanon. The four-story hotel was a glamorous gathering spot during McKeesports industrial heyday and even hosted a 1947 debate between future presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, both then members of Congress. Get a damn Whole Foods already. How do you do that? "Well, yeah. Wounded McKeesport police Officer Charles Thomas is hugged by Mayor Michael Cherepko during a candlelight for fallen McKeesport police Officer Sean Sluganski on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023 at . Topping the list is Washington, with Maryland and New York close behind in second and third. Cherepko had a lot to trumpet at the Oct. 6 meeting of McKeesport City Council. Ones values may transcend the ages the what-ifs of what might have happened had one been in a particular situation and place. People dont realize how much damage that does to a community, he told council. What businesses are we trying to attract here, honestly? Alaska takes first place with the highest City Mayor salary is $101,587 per Year. An overdue $69 electricity bill was Giles latest worry. Washowich, a four-term mayor, passed away Friday in the comfort of his home with his family by his side. 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! Also, the McKeesport sign was donated by McKeesport Hospital (its their old sign) and didnt cost anyone anything, as far as I know. No, yet the guy in McKeesport is expected to work for less money for doing the same job. Why are we struggling every year to try to meet a budget when other agencies dont have that problem? he wondered aloud. Now that the bubble has burst and assessments are falling faster than an acme anvil in a Warner Brothers cartoon, the county school system is looking at a 176 million dollar shortfall this year, not to mention God only knows what in subsequent years. The Allegheny County Health Department found 347 housing code violations across two troubled McKeesport properties over four years but only collected one penalty, for $2,250. "It depends on how you look at it. Were going to continue, without question, McKeesport Rising, Cherepko told council at its November meeting. ActivePaper Archive McKeesport mayor to apply for police grants - Mon Valley Independent, 3/5/2020. 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. We are hanging on by our last thread, and I truly believe that this service is necessary in the City of McKeesport., Cherepko responded that he couldnt help because First Step owed the city money. GeezDan - December 11, 2009. City of McKeesport Salaries How much do City of McKeesport employees make? 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WTAE-TV. In my early days working with Lou, we would meet at G.C. ShotSpotter. Im not here to serve as a PR person for the city or anyone else, but I dont know what too much is. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 at 11pm Saturday, Old restaurant eyed as strip club burns in McKeesport, Action News Investigates: City ignores elderly woman's pleas to tear down neighboring dilapidated house. City of McKeesport employees attributed a compensation and benefits rating of 4.0/5 stars to their company. "Who would have thought that we would be hit with one the worst financial crises in the country's history in 2008? Here are the top five states that pay the highest City Mayor salary in the United States. Van Osdol asked. Administrative Based on 1 salaries Assistant 1 salary View More Military & Protective Services Based on 1 salaries Police Detective 1 salary View More Operations At that same time and in that same area, Mayor Michael Cherepko was looking to build a home. investigative reporter Paul Van Osdol asked. 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. Rich Lord is PublicSources economic development reporter. After becoming the high school quarterback his senior year, he parlayed that experience into a cup of coffee at several colleges, none of which took him to the NFL, but which did get him to trade in his helmet for a different kind of uniform. After the fire, the city spent $12,000 to tear down the two homes that were burned and another abandoned home next door. Unless it is council who concerned, which makes sense since they only get $4000/yr. McKeesport collects 1.2 percent earned-income tax and property taxes of 4.26 mills on buildings and 16.5 mills on land. At council meetings they average 5 to 10 people showing up to speak. That the way it works in business, and that is why Walmart and Costco are so huge, and the small mom and pops where the owner spends the profits on a new car, a new boat, and a cabin in the woods are not. 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. Through all the citys financial woes, Lou supported The Intersection soup kitchen on Seventh Avenue. Nip it! Released in 2013, Mikell later took a job at First Step. Lous character was forged early in life, growing up poor in a tough industrial town without benefit of a standard nuclear family. That's more than the city's 2021 budget, which was $22.1 million, and was down slightly from the prior year. Correction (12/2/21): McKeesports allocation of American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] funds was reduced to $24.7 million from the initial allocation indicated in an earlier version of this story. While assessments were skyrocketing in the bubble days, the county cut the real estate tax rate (the only local tax Richmond benevolently allows us) to lower levels to lessen the impact of the higher assessments. His starker message: The men housed by First Step might otherwise be homeless. That Duquesne-based environmental engineering firm was hired by the authority as part of a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant of $500,000 toward the clean-up of the asbestos-laden site. Mayor's Office Previously a City Councilman who worked as a fifth-grade teacher in the McKeesport Area School District, Michael Cherepko was elected in 2011 to serve McKeesport's near 20,000 residents as Mayor. Sep 2016 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. 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. Lou graduated from McKeesport High School despite his lack of enthusiasm for academics. Tube City Online is still not a significant source of saturated fats or Minnesota Fats. The next largest expenditure --- after payments on bonds and the annual tax-anticipation note --- is $2.4 million for the fire department. The midpoint of the salary range for the Monroeville city manager is about the same as the McKeesport mayor and city adminstrators salaries added together. No City Council approval was. document.write(address); But no one wants to come here. Just to feed his residents, he relies on generosity from restaurants and charity. Help us inform people in the Pittsburgh region with more stories like this support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation. Only three new homes, including the mayor's, were built in the past decade. Also, objects in Tube City Online may be closer than they appear. Company reviews can provide helpful insights into the company culture, working conditions, benefits, compensation, and training opportunities in City Of Mckeesport. Tube City Online is produced in a facility that also includes Peanuts. If they werent under his roofs, some might be homeless, committing crimes to support their addictions. The new mayor received an increase in pay -- from $4,000 a year for serving as a council member to a $70,000 annual salary -- but Mr. McLaughlin promptly cut his pay to $60,000 because $60,000. But its a bad thing if we dont have property. The largest single expenditure in the $19 million budget is nearly $4.5 million for the city's 60-person police department, which includes 10 detectives, 24 full-time patrol officers and part-time police. Matthew Craig, executive director of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, stands in front of the . They have been in office an average of two terms or more. And remember, the city previously paid $12,000 in grant money to demolish the buildings. Graduating in Pennsylvania is about to get more complicated. Dennis K.E. Enviro 21's expertise in the demolition and waste industry helped construct a bid that ensured the city would pay no extra costs, while complying with all laws and regulations. document.write(first+second+third); More by Rich Lord. Following the hearing, which was required as part of the EPA grant, the public has 30 days to submit written comments to the authority. 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. 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. "Could anyone get the city to get rid of all these tax liens, knock down three buildings, to build a home?" Weve got TONS of space here, 2 parking garages, and a major highway running right the hell through the middle of town. Does North Huntingdon have 40 percent more crime? Previously a City Councilman, who worked as a fifth-grade teacher in the McKeesport Area School District, Michael Cherepko was elected in 2011 to serve McKeesport's near 20,000 residents as Mayor. He added that in his town, elected officials conduct ourselves with integrity and the utmost respect for each other.. He accepted his oath of office on January 3, 2012 and renewed it for a second term in 2016. Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry. Unless of course you can save 300,000 dollars for each of your children by the time they start college. First Step was the first program that he approached with a sincere desire to get well. "I thought they could at least have given me a dollar, or the mayor could have come and thanked me because he grew up there. Honestly, I dont know where these figures come from. For him, necessity was always the mother of invention. He had planned to renovate it into transitional housing that graduates of First Step could live in while receiving social services that would lead to independence. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Do not expose Tube City Online to open flames and keep it out of the reach of children. It was a plan to reinvent the mill site into an entertainment venue. Unlike newer suburbs, the city cannot rely on new residential construction (Brewster called them "dream houses") to boost its revenues. First Step CEO Keith Giles believes that the city armed with $24.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] funding should help to stabilize the financially struggling program. Meanwhile state subsidies to our state universities have fallen, forcing schools like UVA, William & Mary, and Virginia Tech to take more out of state students to make up the difference in their budgets. Or even a big Market District. That's what I did, I signed it," Lawson said. If you pay substantially less than neighboring businesses, youll have a hard time attracting and keeping employees. He can be reached at rich@publicsource.org or on Twitter @richelord. We want to try to replicate it here, Giles said as he brought out a binder full of materials on the program and laid it on his desk.