Malinchak making independent bid for McKeesport mayor
McKeesport city controller Raymond Malinchak confirmed that he is circulating petitions, seeking signatures for an independent bid for mayor of McKeesport.
Malinchak disclosed after Tuesday's city council workshop that he is seeking more than the 100 signatures required by state law for a place on the fall general election ballot.
A longtime Democrat, Malinchak registered as an independent in time for the May 17 primary, in which council president Michael Cherepko defeated four foes for the Democratic nomination.
He did not make a formal announcement of his plans to run for mayor, pending his filing of those petitions with Allegheny County election officials. He has until Aug. 1 to file.
Malinchak was named city controller after John Knezovich resigned in 2003. Malinchak subsequently won full terms as controller in 2005 and 2009, with city Democratic committee endorsement.
Malinchak also ran unsuccessfully for McKeesport Area school board in 2005 on a ticket with Lori Spando, David G. Donato and Ocie Paige, all of whom were elected to the board.
Spando later served as board president and was one of Cherepko's four foes in the primary.
Cherepko was endorsed by the city committee for mayor and received 1,465 votes, or just less than 42 percent of all Democratic votes, in the primary.
Councilman Alfred J. Tedesco Jr. received 654 votes, or 18.7 percent; interim Mayor Regis T. McLaughlin had 598 votes, or 17.1 percent; Spando got 436 votes, or just under 12.5 percent; and Councilman Darryl Segina had 333 votes, or 9.5 percent.
No Republican filed for the office. Cherepko was the top GOP write-in winner with 44 of 129 votes cast May 17.
Malinchak has crossed swords with Cherepko at recent meetings.
He paid $5,000 out of his own pocket for Corporate Security & Investigations to probe the increase in garbage tonnage collected, particularly since Nickolich Towing of Clairton won the contract for that work.
Malinchak sought reimbursement, basing his claim on the Home Rule Charter. Cherepko refused, saying, "That all will be argued later in court."
Malinchak regularly brings up a variety of issues for consideration by council and the city's law department.
Attorney Chelsea Dice, filling in at Tuesday's workshop for her father, solicitor Bruce E. Dice, said she would get Malinchak an opinion regarding whether three salary ordinances were properly adopted by former councils.
Malinchak questioned whether those actions were in compliance with applicable sections of the city's Home Rule Charter and the state's Third Class City Code.
"In the opinion of the controller, (HRC) Section 703 ... may have been inadvertently or improperly amended by former councils three times since HRC adoption," Malinchak wrote, suggesting that all three should have been submitted to the voters in a referendum.
Malinchak wrote that Dice "was totally silent" about one "germane" ordinance, 96-10, in his memorandum that opened the door to the distribution of $40,962.31 in deferred compensation by former mayor and current state Sen. James R. Brewster.
Malinchak does not have a website, but Cherepko's platform can be found at the cherepkoformayor.com website.
