Michael Gray returns as Latrobe city manager following successor's resignation

The tenure of the mayor’s cousin serving as Latrobe city manager didn’t last beyond the honeymoon.

City council this week officially accepted the resignation of John Antinori, who served less than three months after the board unanimously hired him in November. On Monday, council again voted unanimously — this time to rehire former City Manager Michael Gray, who said Mayor Rosie Wolford approached him two weeks ago to gauge his interest in coming back.

“Absolutely,” Gray said he responded. “My heart was in the city here, and it always will be. I missed the work, so I took it.

“It was a no-brainer. It’s a great place to work.”

Details remain unclear concerning when Antinori stopped working as city manager. His duties recently had been split between Roxanne Shadron, the director of finance and administration, and Police Chief John Sleasman.

Antinori, a Unity native, could not be reached for comment. Wolford declined to comment on his resignation.

Before joining the city staff, Antinori held management positions in New York City, including director of “total customer experience” at IBM.

Gray joined the city as a public works employee in 2015 and soon was promoted to public works director. After the abrupt resignation of then-city manager Wayne Jones last March, Gray took on the manager role while continuing to head the public works department. He resigned from both positions in October, citing personal reasons.

On Monday, he said, that move was a mistake.

Since he stepped down, council hired Scott Wajdic as public works director. That will allow Gray to concentrate on city operations and managing budgets.

“This is one job, strictly, which is going to make it really nice,” Gray said of his renewed stint as city manager. “To be honest, it was tough before, trying to run the (solid waste) transfer station, the public works and also at the same time be down here (at the municipal building).”

“Mike was doing two jobs and a lot was on him,” Wolford acknowledged. “Now, we have a full staff and Mike can focus on city manager stuff.”

Gray received a round of applause after council rehired him and Wolford formally welcomed him back as manager. She said his return “just kind of all fell into place. I think we’re in good shape.”

Gray said he will work under the same employment terms as manager that applied before he resigned. His salary is set at $70,000, Wolford said.

Council gave Antinori a two-year contract with a $75,000 annual salary.

Council on Monday also accepted the resignation of Otto Salguero as an appointed member of the Latrobe Industrial Development Authority. That makes two vacancies that need to be filled on the authority and one each on the city’s planning commission and zoning hearing board.