McKeesport gives police $3K bonuses in aftermath of Sean Sluganski's death

McKeesport issued $3,000 bonuses to city police officers Friday, nearly three weeks after the shooting death of city Officer Sean Sluganski.

McKeesport solicitor Jason Elash said Mayor Michael Cherepko authorized the payments to compensate officers for lost overtime and court pay while the department was shut down for two weeks following Sluganski’s death. Pandemic relief money will cover the costs.

Cherepko, who is up for reelection in May, did not return several messages seeking comment.

In a Feb. 10 memo to the payroll clerk, Cherepko wrote, “In light of the tragic events that took place on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, please add $3,000 per officer to the Feb. 24, 2023, McKeesport Police Department payroll. Every officer — from the chief of police to our part-time officers — will receive a $3,000 payment.”

Elash said the money was meant to help the officers as they continue to cope with Sluganski’s death. A handful still have not yet returned to work, he said.

“The administration wanted to eliminate a level of stress for these guys,” Elash said.

While the McKeesport department was shut down for two weeks after Sluganski’s death, officers from other municipal departments filled in for city officers. The city officers still received their regular weekly pay.

Full-time officers starting in the department earn a minimum base pay of $68,000, according to the city’s 2022 budget.

With 39 officers, the bonuses totaled $117,000. No City Council approval was needed.

“The mayor has discretion within the budget,” Elash said.

McKeesport operates under a strong mayor form of government. Under that system, City Council approves each department’s overall budget, but it does not approve the department budgets line by line, Elash said. The mayor has authority to allocate money within a department as he sees fit.

To ensure checks and balances, the solicitor said, expenditures are reported to council every month, and an annual audit is completed.

“It’s always been that way,” Elash said.

In addition, Elash said, McKeesport has a controller who reviews every bill and signs every check before it is issued.

In the case of the bonuses, there was unspent money in the police budget because of officers leaving the department or being out on workers’ compensation, which covered the payments up front, Elash said. Pandemic relief money will be used to reimburse the city for the bonuses, he said.

McKeesport received $24.7 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act in 2021.

Guidance provided by the White House in May said municipalities were encouraged to use pandemic relief funding to bolster public safety. At that time, $1 billion already had been used by governments to pay bonuses to front-line public safety workers to help recruit and retain them.

According to reports, Bedminster Township in Bucks County gave each of its six police officers a $10,000 bonus from its pandemic relief funding, and Harrisburg gave its officers and firefighters a $5,000 bonus.

Under the rules, the ARPA funding must be spent by Dec. 31, 2024.

When contacted Tuesday, McKeesport City Council President Richard Dellapenna said he was aware of the $3,000 payments but did not know how they were funded or why the money was being paid now.

“I’m sure I’m going to be informed about it at tomorrow’s council meeting,” he said.

The expenditure is not listed on the city council agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, but Elash said he expected it to be discussed.

Another council member, Timothy Brown, said he was not aware of the payments.

Joe Lopretto, who is running against Cherepko in the Democratic primary, questioned why the payments didn’t go to council for approval, but he didn’t oppose the money going to officers.

“I would never begrudge our policemen of money. I know how hard they work,” said Lopretto, a McKeesport Area School Board member who formerly served as a lieutenant on the city’s police force.