Click here if you wish to opt out and view the full site. First Step often houses men for around a year, and embraces the 12-step recovery program, exercise and dietary improvement, volunteer work, employment and counseling on issues like money management, housing and family reconciliation. Keenon Mikell turned on the lights for First Steps empty gymnasium, illuminating a boxing ring, heavy bags, training bags, speed bags and exercise machines. The mayor said he's offering the same deal to anyone who wants to build a home in McKeesport -- a city peppered with derelict buildings. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WTAE-TV. Moreover, there were to be no layoffs. Unlike newer suburbs, the city cannot rely on new residential construction (Brewster called them "dream houses") to boost its revenues. That's more than the city's 2021 budget, which was $22.1 million, and was down slightly from the prior year. 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. You need to work hard for success, not have success at the expense of others.Adam - December 08, 2009, True, but again to play devils advocate if you want someone to work for you, you have to pay what the market demands. If you are using Chrome and keep getting redirected to this page, then turn sync off. He was not the darling of the business communitys movers and shakers, which included Bob Cox of Coxs Department Stores, Ron Angerman of R & J Furniture, Lester Herrup of Golden Rule, the Mansfield family, which owned The Daily News, and the senior management and board of directors of the hospital. Lou's salary was $22,000 per year, while he and Jean were trying to raise two growing young sons who . Despite the clashes at council, Giles held out hope for detente with the mayor. Glassdoor has salaries, wages, tips, bonuses, and hourly pay based upon employee reports and estimates. Because you are viewing this site from a location address that appears to be covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA"), many of the features of TribLIVE.com -- like videos and social media elements -- are disabled. I would not have bought the property with all the liens. We are also getting $480,000 from the Liquid Fuels tax, and oddly enough, thats the exact amount we want to spend on Street Lighting. Once a hotspot, now a liability, the landmark could get a shot at restoration if funding allows. http://www.monroeville.pa.us/_DocArchives/misc/2010ProposedBudget.pdf The story of the mayor's home starts with a fire in May 2012. Unfortunately the city has been driving business away for so many years it is hard for the public opinion to switch gears. It would be inappropriate not to share an insight into Lous heart. GeezDan - December 11, 2009. He reported for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 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. That house was owned by Josephine Lawson. With luck, the mayor said, someone 50 years from now might remember the bike trail, Renziehausen Park or other city landmarks as part of their "good old days." All rights reserved. Administrative Based on 1 salaries Assistant 1 salary View More Military & Protective Services Based on 1 salaries Police Detective 1 salary View More Operations The meeting ended with no further whiff of infighting. Thats the seventh-highest among some 140 ZIP codes in the county. Then the public comment period started, and again Giles took to the podium. 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. Cherepko is not the first one to use this program, but he says he is the first to use it to build a house. The cost of totally demolishing the building would be around $1 million, he added. It is like comparing my house to a house in Monroeville for property taxes. McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko posted the following statement on Facebook: "As mayor of the city of McKeesport, I feel compelled to publicly address an issue that has come to my attention via . 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. In 2013, the city redevelopment agency went to court to take her property and three others by eminent domain. Individual salaries will, of course, vary depending on the job, department, location, as well as the individual skills and education of each employee. Giles said he called the editor to clear up any misunderstanding regarding the Shaw Avenue propertys demolition, and that when the mayor found out he nixed the meeting. I am not going to take our tax money, he continued, to fulfill the obligations that you failed to meet.. Rich Lord is PublicSources economic development reporter. Just to feed his residents, he relies on generosity from restaurants and charity. It just seems what matters most to us changes daily. In other news: Except where noted, all contents are copyright 2003-2014 Tube City Community Media Inc., a non-profit corporation chartered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There is more to retail than Wal-Mart, Brewster. (The city did not provide requested documentation of the charge by the time of publication. Mon-Yough area news, views and announcements, powered by volunteers, local writers and your donations! McKeesports new website is looking really good these days. . At council meetings they average 5 to 10 people showing up to speak. The recovery organization is struggling to pay the bills, to make payroll and to salvage its relationship with city government. The average salary of a City Mayor is $98,597 in Mckeesport, PA. What is Pay-for-Performance Compensation? Well, not really," Cherepko said. 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. That will be Lous real legacy. He joined the team in 2020, serving as a reporter focused on housing and economic development and an assistant editor. That is a sign of true leadership. All that's left are fragments of the foundation. "When people say, 'Well, what does Fifth Avenue mean to me?' Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. 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. Besides cleared land, he said, businesses value McKeesports civility. 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. Each day was different depending upon the shift and the time of year. He gave me the money and asked me to play a triple number in a box.. Additionally, the financial community from Equibank, Union National Bank, Pittsburgh National Bank and Mellon Bank which did not even have a branch in the City of McKeesport did not have a relationship with the new mayor. "Absolutely -- for a home, commercial business, whatever," Cherepko said. He said he tried to walk away from the argument, but Giles kept drawing him back. In the end, all McKeesporters poor and rich, young and old, male and female, all races and religions mattered to him. 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. What should happen are municipal mergers that would put all of these towns on a level field but the voters hate the idea. MOST READ PUBLICSOURCE STORIES The authority board then has to report its decision to the EPA, though it faces no firm deadline to do so. "Businesses are going to come and go, just like people come and go," Brewster said. Brewster said he would have more to say in his second "state of the city" address, to be delivered to the public in February. 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. This is a whole new experience for me, said Bunting. These people legit are like my family.. This house on Fifth Avenue in McKeesport, once owned by Keenon Mikell, is now deeded to the McKeesport City Redevelopment Authority. He said McKeesport needs a hotel. Lawson does not regret losing her old house and property. Mayor Lous time in office spawned a second park, named for one of his friends teacher, coach and city councilman Richard Gergely. Salaries above this are outliers. Box 94, McKeesport, Pa. 15134. Dennis K.E. Why are we struggling every year to try to meet a budget when other agencies dont have that problem? he wondered aloud. Remove the south wing, though, and the north wing wont be stable. (Lake. 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. The Tube City Almanac This story was fact-checked by Amelia Winger. I would not have bought the property with all the liens.". "Oh, God. Ever heard of a phone system? I congratulate the Council on its balanced budget. Oct 2015 Are schools ready? 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. I will miss you, Boss, and hope to see you again someday up there. The competition will also be fiercer where wages are high. For 13 minutes, he and Cherepko debated an argument they had two weeks earlier, outside of city hall. And I cant pay my bills online? I dont know where we are buying light bulbs, but we better ask the guys at Sun-Ray for a deal, becuase I think we are being ripped off. {"requests":{"event":"https://www.publicsource.org/wp-content/plugins/newspack-popups/includes/../api/campaigns/index.php"},"triggers":{"trackPageview":{"on":"visible","request":"event","visibilitySpec":{"selector":"#c022","visiblePercentageMin":50,"totalTimeMin":250,"continuousTimeMin":100},"extraUrlParams":{"popup_id":"id_1279864","cid":"CLIENT_ID(newspack-cid)"}}}} 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. Saving McKeesport's Penn McKee Hotel would cost millions, but the mayor wants to give it a try. We really could not survive, he said, if we were not able to go to the food bank.. As a city tries to demolish its way to rebirth, a veteran team of addiction recovery workers struggles to avoid fiscal collapse. McKeesport mayor sees big savings on new house after tax liens wiped out, Program is 'absolutely' available for anyone else in city, Michael Cherepko says. "That sounds like a pretty good deal," Van Osdol said. And none of them mattered more than any other one except, perhaps, his family. Most McKeesporters dont care about Marshall Drive, or benches on Walnut Street. In August, the city included it in an eminent domain case in which it sought ownership of 48 blighted properties. Full-time officers starting in the department earn a minimum base pay of $68,000, according to the city's 2022 budget. Instead the city razed the house last summer, then billed First Step for the costs, which Giles said were around $12,600. You do that, Ill shut you out forever.. I want to get my life together for the first time in my life and have my family be proud of me, he said. Everything is on the table get cut, and it will certainly be painful. Click the company name to explore its salary ranges and a comparison with pay at City Of Mckeesport. The span is now closed to both vehicles and. 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. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @richelord. He admires San Franciscos Delancey Street Foundation, a self-help community and job training facility for ex-convicts with substance use histories. Salaries for the mayor, councilors, solicitor and other city administrators tote up another $1.2 million, while property maintenance costs $1.1 million. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most. Physical Address: 500 Fifth Avenue Second Floor McKeesport, PA 15132. He currently lives in Mt. They coached the Little Tigers side-by-side, but in later years, fought loudly when Lou was the mayor and Bill was the president of Teamsters Union Local 205. Lawson now lives in an apartment, where she got a visit from a McKeesport official asking her to give up her property. And both have huge business/retail dollars coming in. After an adult life fueled by cocaine and then almost ended in an opioid overdose, he was still fired up from an entirely different kind of weekend, which he called the most fun in my life.. I was able to learn the streets of the city, the people and neighborhoods, as well as the businesses that relied on uniform protection. Born July 8, 1930, in McKeesport, Washowich was a U.S. Army veteran who had been stationed in Fort Knox, Ky., where he met his wife of 58 years, Jean. 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 . Welcome to the TribLIVE.com California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) landing page. Lous vision would have forever changed the whole valley, just as the Meadowlands and Southpointe have changed the face of Washington County with a business park, outlet stores and more. $80,035 - $106,409 7% of jobs $106,410 - $132,784 4% of jobs $132,785 - $159,159 4% of jobs $162,798 is the 90th percentile. "That's a $22,000 savings for you as the home builder, right?" Were going to continue, without question, McKeesport Rising, Cherepko told council at its November meeting. He spent it at a Narcotics Anonymous convention in Erie. Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. Rich is the managing editor of PublicSource. That's what I did, I signed it," Lawson said. "Well, I can understand how it could be perceived as that," Cherepko said. "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. Instead of being drafted by the NFL, Lou was a draft choice for the U.S. Army, and ended up in Fort Knox, Ky., where he signed the best long-term contract of his life he met and married his wife Jean. Approaching the gym, Mikell recounted the workouts that changed his life. He accepted his oath of office on January 3, 2012 and renewed it for a second term in 2016. Mayor's Office. Sluganski, 32, of McKeesport was shot and killed Monday after police said he responded to a 911 call requesting a mental health check of Johnathan Jermia Morris, 31, on the city's Wilson Avenue.. Whenever the mayor or council suggest anything, the message boards lite up with how stupid they are.silvblk12 - December 11, 2009, Yes, its definitely true everywhere. McKeesport city controller Raymond Malinchak confirmed that he is circulating petitions, seeking signatures for an independent bid for mayor of McKeesport. Through all the citys financial woes, Lou supported The Intersection soup kitchen on Seventh Avenue. Its an incredible opportunity to help some of those in need, he told council. Sep 01 - Sep 30, 2014 Even after spending millions to save the north wing, the city would only get an empty shell. Phone: 412-675-5020. "I'm optimistic we are going to turn things around here," says McKeesport Mayor Wayne Kucich, who is making good on a campaign promise to donate $15,000 a year of his $60,000 salary. 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. Try maybe fixing Grandview Avenue so people dont have to drive on the wrong side of the street, or fixing sidewalks so the handicapped in wheelchairs dont need to drive on the street.Adam - December 08, 2009, Um, I believe switchboard operators name is Sarah. Giles left while other attendees gathered around Cherepko. Management took the running of the city seriously, and worked with the police in trying to make it a safe place. Opinions expressed here are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent those of any organization. But, please for the love of God, dont raise my taxes. In effect, city redevelopment and individual recovery which would ideally reinforce each other are instead colliding. Matthew Craig, executive director of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, stands in front of the . For some of them, the program clicks, he said. Murphy Co.s lunch counter for coffee. The bottom line is really, how did someone respond when their name is called? Mar 2023 they're right," said Brewster, which is why the city will "aggressively" continue demolishing abandoned houses in all 12 wards. Monroeville and North Huntingdon have their budgets online, and you can compare their expenditures with what McKeesport is paying: Click the banner to return to the Almanac's front page, or click here to visit Tube City Online. 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. 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. County records show the four lots had a value of $40,000.Cherepko paid the city just $7,500. 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. If someone isnt doing their job, zero dollars is too much. Both cities have median incomes above $44,000 for thier citizens. 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. You save the Penn McKee Hotel, if its savable.. Over time, all of them got to know Mayor Lou, his personality and management style. When the call came to share, Aaron Bunting leapt to the podium. ShotSpotter, which is currently used in the City of Pittsburgh, is a company that offers gunshot detection systems that . Now, North Huntingdon pays their police chief 40 percent more than McKeesport. But he also has larger obligations, including the four buildings and seven employees. "That's circumventing the system, taking advantage of his position -- something that shouldn't be happening," John Luenberger said. 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. Category: News || By Following the hearing, which was required as part of the EPA grant, the public has 30 days to submit written comments to the authority. Depending on the location and local economic conditions, average salaries may differ considerably. Jan 2016 Individual salaries will, of course, vary depending on the job, department, location, as well as the individual skills and education of each employee. And Ive met a lot of guys [in prison] who had regret, and theyre like, Listen, this aint you. His workout buddies, he said, urged him to aim higher. 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. Jan 2017 ShotSpotter. 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.). Cherepko had a lot to trumpet at the Oct. 6 meeting of McKeesport City Council. Tube City Online is still not a significant source of saturated fats or Minnesota Fats. 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. East Liberty did it, and they have NO PARKING. Seven other First Step residents sat at a table in the wood-paneled clinical office, with its space heater, popcorn maker and an old bank vault door. BECOME A MEMBER. 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. On this late October day, the residents were all en route to the convention in Erie. When McKeesport council voted last month to allow Mayor Michael Cherepko to tap into a reserve fund to make payroll and pay bills, he said he believed the budget deficit could reach $2 million at the end of the year. And what exactly does a switchboard operator do, Mabel? Well, not really," Cherepko said. A company like that would have to be aggressively recruited. Thats a good thing a very good thing, he continued. "That's circumventing the system, taking advantage of his position -- something that shouldn't be happening," John Luenberger said. Municipal mergers sounds like a good idea, kind of like revenue sharing in MLB. "The good old days that we think of today are gone," he said. ), Giles argued that the stakes here were bigger than a demolition debt. I am fiscally responsible for the tax dollars in the City of McKeesport, Cherepko told Giles in the first of two testy encounters before city council. Its been a wreck for real. "It depends on how you look at it. He said he couldnt distribute public dollars to organizations that werent in good standing., Giles didnt dispute the debt. 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. That maiden voyage was further complicated when it the city hit an economic iceberg. 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! But no one wants to come here. McKeesport had previously been paying between $12,500 and $15,000, and Mayor Cherepko decided on a starting price of $8,000 per house. Regardless, they were his people and as McKeesporters, he felt responsible for them and would not forget them. Here are the top five states that pay the highest City Mayor salary in the United States. "That's a $22,000 savings for you as the home builder, right?" He then asked the board of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of McKeesport, which owns the building, to leave no stone unturned and try to utilize every available resource to save at least part of the building. A service of Tube City Community Media Inc., a non-profit based in McKeesport, Pa. 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. His record includes state time for drug and gun possession charges in the 1990s, and federal time for a drug charge he drew in West Virginia. If you believe you have been sent to this page by accident, you can delete your TribLIVE.com cookies and proceed to the site. At that same time and in that same area, Mayor Michael Cherepko was looking to build a home. Ones values may transcend the ages the what-ifs of what might have happened had one been in a particular situation and place. And remember, the city previously paid $12,000 in grant money to demolish the buildings. To comment on any story at Tube City Almanac, email [email protected], send a tweet to www.twitter.com/tubecityonline, visit our Facebook page, or write to Tube City Almanac, P.O. "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. Youre probably looking at $20 million to save the Penn McKee Hotel and bring it into something else, said Matthew Craig, executive director of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh. Cherepko paid the city just $7,500. Honey, I was in the house about 60 years," Lawson said. The latter was not a problem, because Lous ability to judge people which he developed back when he coached the Little Tigers helped him find, trust and obtain the folks he needed to initiate and implement his goals and objectives. She just wishes that the mayor -- who she knew as a child -- had contacted her first. He then developed a business plan; found an experienced, well-known local family to underwrite, own and operate a dog-racing facility; and organized a 15-bus caravan to present the model to then-Gov. The Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport celebrated the completion of a multiyear $62.5 million system expansion plan on Monday. CBS News Pittsburgh: Free 24/7 News CBS Pittsburgh App To keep First Step afloat, he cut his own salary, once $82,500, to $65,000, he said. "We have to learn to accept the cultural changes that have occurred." 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.. The city had several schools, as well as Two housing complexes that also had to be patrolled. No warranty is given or implied for the information and opinions contained herein; the reader uses that information at his or her peril. New York beats the national average by 4.0%, and Washington furthers that trend with another $6,345 (7.9%) above the $80,064. 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. We've identified six states where the typical salary for a Mayor job is above the national average. Aug 2015 Feb 2017 Rumor has it, he routinely rode the streetcar I hope you all can remember them or at least heard about them which ran down Fifth Avenue from Glassport past McKeesport Hospital by hanging on the back for lack of that nickel.