Mar 29, 2022 3 min read

MONESSEN – Mayor Ron Mozer said the city is in desperate need of a deputy treasurer.

Debbie Gregor, who has held the position for about 10 years, is retiring Thursday. A motion to advertise for the job was approved by council Feb. 10.

However, only one person expressed interest in the job and then decided against it due to the salary.

“Our office workers in the union start at $14 an hour,” Mozer said at Thursday’s council meeting. “This is a person that takes care of all the money that comes into this city. This is a person that interacts with the people.”

Mozer also said April is just around the corner, which happens to be the busiest month in the treasurer’s office.

“We will have something in the excess of $1 million cross the desk of what should be the deputy treasurer,” Mozer said. “This is a problem.”

Mozer said a renegotiation of the contract with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, District Council 83 (AFSCME) may be necessary to try to secure a higher salary for the position.

“We don’t have budget money to flaunt to attract the kind of talent that we need, but we will have no money if we don’t have somebody collect it,” Mozer said. “It’s a challenge we’re all going to be facing in April. We’re going to have to think out of the box. We’re going to have to advertise in new places. We’ve got to figure out a way to get through this. Without this position, we’re all in trouble. I will do everything I can to work with the union to improve the starting wage.”

Also Thursday, council unanimously approved hiring three new police officers – Austin Hritz, Jacob Hensell and Walker Bakewell.

Bakewell has been working in Charleroi; Hensell at Duquesne Police Department, and Hritz is a recent graduate of the municipal police academy at Westmoreland County Community College. Hritz’s brother, Alan, is a Monessen police officer.

The officers were sworn in at the meeting by District Judge Wayne Vlasic.

The three increases the department to 13 members, counting Chief David Yuhasz.

“It’s very important (to get these additional officers),” Yuhasz said. “We’re running with bare minimum staffing right now. This will give our officers some relief and will give the city some relief in areas such as overtime.”

Yuhasz said there are some clearances that have to be obtained before the new officers can be placed on the schedule, but he hopes to at least have the experienced officers available in two to three weeks.

“I can’t wait to get them out there and working,” the chief said.