McKeesport Councilwoman V. Fawn Walker-Montgomery, who has earned praise for her work trying to reduce gun violence in the community, has been removed as chair of the McKeesport Business District Authority.
Council voted her out at the request of Mayor Michael Cherepko who recommended her removal at the July City Council meeting in a resolution replacing her with city Community Development Director A.J. Tedesco. His resolution said her replacement and the retention of two other members were requested by the Authority.
Walker-Montgomery said she was blind-sided by the mayor.
“I had five minutes notice. I didn’t even get a courtesy call,” she said. “As chair of the Authority, I was able to develop sustainable partnerships and began an entrepreneurial class. While this was unfortunate, I am not surprised by these political maneuvers.”
Councilman Keith Soles, the only other council member voting against her replacement, agreed that Walker-Montgomery should, at least, have gotten a call from the mayor.
“I think she has done a good job,” he said.
It is the mayor’s prerogative to appoint or remove members of city authorities, subject to the approval of council.
Walker-Montgomery said she will move on and continue working on youth and public safety initiatives. For two years, she has been the sole Black representative on council, and she did it without the Democratic Party endorsement.
But barring write-in upsets two more African Americans will join her after the November general election. Corry Sanders and Timothy Brown both beat out Democratic Party-endorsed council candidates in the May Primary election.
Brown’s older brother also won a primary battle—again unendorsed—for McKeesport Area School Board. If he prevails in a six-way race in November, there would be two African Americans on the school board for the first time since the 1990s.
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