Jan 3, 2018 2 min read

MONESSEN – Monessen’s youngest mayor in history was met with roadblocks Tuesday after he was sworn into office.

Matt Shorraw, 26, who claimed a stunning victory in a race against an incumbent in November, was unable to win approval of an appointment to fill a vacant seat on council.

The newly seated council also deadlocked on deciding whether to retain the law firm Dodaro, Matta & Cambest as city solicitor, a move Shorraw opposed, along with Councilman Gilbert Coles.

“Where do you start?” Shorraw said following the meeting in City Hall, while discussing the many problems this Westmoreland County municipality faces.

The vacant seat on council was created when Anthony W. Orzechowski won two-year and four-year terms on the board. He elected to take the four-year term.

Shorraw suggested filling the two-year position with David Feehan, but the motion failed in a tie, with Shorraw and Coles voting yes.

Shorraw said a council member will be appointed by a Westmoreland County judge if the seat is not filled within 30 days.

Former Mayor Lou Mavrakis handed over the gavel to Shorraw during a meeting that was filled to capacity with supporters of the young mayor.

“I wish you the best of luck,” said Mavrakis, who mounted an unsuccessful write-in campaign against Shorraw in November.

Shorraw was met with a roaring round of applause when he took the mayor’s chair. He’ll be faced with leading a city littered with blighted buildings, facing a declining tax base and dealing with an overwhelming number of crumbling streets and sewers.

He said he hopes to “bring progress and opportunity” to Monessen by focusing on small-business development.