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Westmoreland County commissioners on Tuesday rescinded a nearly $5,000 grant awarded last week to a Salem gym after it refused to accept a provision that requires recipients to pledge to adhere to state covid guidelines.
Officials said representatives of Matshark Fitness, which operates as Wallace Training Systems, declined to sign off on a contract required to accept the grant commissioners approved this month to help small businesses recoup losses and costs associated with pandemic.
Melissa Guiddy, county solicitor, said a signed contract is required before money is handed over. That contract requires entities that accept the money to “follow orders of the governor and state health department.”
Westmoreland County’s elected officials will not get raises in 2021.
Annual cost-of-living raises earned by county commissioners and row officers since 1995 have been determined by changes to the consumer price index calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
For 2021, that index came in unchanged from 2020, meaning that for the first time since 2015 elected officials will not receive a cost-of-living increase.
“There is no reason we should get a raise,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. “I’m 100% fine with not getting raises.”
As board chairman, Kertes earns $84,011, about $3,000 more than fellow commissioners Doug Chew and Gina Cerilli.
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli, flanked by fellow county commissioners, and a leadership committee formed to deal with the pandemic, speaks to the news media Saturday, March 13, 2020 at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. Westmoreland County Commissioners announced a declaration of disaster emergency on Saturday in wake of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus.
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A handful of Westmoreland County government department heads were handed substantial raises Thursday, a move commissioners said was related to their work during ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Tribune-Review
Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds Frank Schiefer takes his oath of office during the swearing in ceremony at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019.
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Westmoreland County commissioners are expected to settle a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year by a former employee claiming she was fired by new Republican Recorder of Deeds Frank Schiefer after he took office in January.
The $27,500 settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing, officials said Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed by former office supervisor Alida Patterson, 34, of Latrobe, a employee in the Recorder of Deeds Office since 2015. She was fired by Schiefer, the incoming office holder, on his first day on the job.
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli has tested positive for covid-19, county officials said Tuesday.
Cerilli informed the county of her positive test results Tuesday and is following isolation recommendations.
Cerilli told the Tribune-Review Tuesday was the second day she experienced symptoms including a “terrible headache” and an elevated temperature. She said she immediately got tested after developing the symptoms and learned of her positive result on Tuesday.
She said she’s been drinking plenty of fluids and will seek medical attention if needed.
County officials said in a news release that they “immediately implemented steps to minimize the impact to our workplace and to keep all employees healthy and safe,” noting they had “already implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of the commissioners’ suite” and were taking other precautions, including requiring temperature checks and use of face masks.