Allegheny Township hires former Plum official
ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP: A Plum man with nine years of municipal management experience has been hired as the township's manager, a new position supervisors created in March to handle growth in the township.
A divided board of supervisors on Monday hired David Soboslay, 35, as manager to oversee township operations, including police, public works and administration.
Supervisor Dan Smetanick said he voted against the hiring because a township manager might mean a tax increase. Smetanick voted against creating the manager's position in March stating the same reason.
The other two supervisors — Chairman Howard Baybrook and John Framel — disagreed there would need to be a tax increase. Supervisors have budgeted a $57,000 salary for the manager position in 2003, but will also pay about an additional $15,000 in benefits, according to estimates from Framel.
This is less than the state average for municipal managers in Pennsylvania. In 2001, the average municipal manager was paid $66,425, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
Soboslay is scheduled to start work Jan. 1.
Reached after the meeting, Soboslay said his zoning background and communication skills will serve him well. He was tapped from 40 applicants, officials said.
The biggest challenge he anticipates will be managing Allegheny Township's potential housing and commercial growth.
Three new housing developments are being built in the township, which could add hundreds of new residents, and a new shopping center, Allegheny Towne Center, opened this year.
Soboslay has been an assistant borough manager for Dormont, Allegheny County, since 1993, and had a four-month stint as acting manager last year. He has a master's degree in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dormont is one of the older neighborhoods in Pittsburgh's South Hills. It is less than a square mile, which is about 30 times smaller than Allegheny Township. Dormont has 9,300 residents, nearly 1,000 more than Allegheny Township, Soboslay said.
During Monday's meeting, several residents echoed Smetanick's concerns about the township's ability to pay for the manager.
"I think you're anticipating revenues that are going to be short of where you expected," said resident Richard Albright.
Framel disagreed. The 2001 township budget had a nearly $50,000 surplus, mostly due to unexpected surges in earned income taxes, Framel said.
The township may get even more of these taxes if new residents move into the three new housing developments, which are Hawk Valley, Allegheny Woodlands and River Forest. These are scheduled to have high-end homes, which means wealthier residents who will pay more earned income tax, Framel said.
Supervisors Framel and Baybrook both said they aren't concerned Monday's vote wasn't unanimous. They repeated their belief that the township needs a manager.
In 1998, a nine-member committee studied the merits of hiring a manager and concluded the township would benefit from hiring. A manager can save money on legal, insurance and consultant costs, obtain grants and control growth, the committee said in its report.
