Ron Machesky named chairman of citizens’ advisory committee
A citizens advisory committee formed to review the Uniontown Area High School building project Thursday accepted the resignation of its chair and co-chair and appointed former school board president Ron Machesky to head the committee. The Uniontown Area School Board on Monday accepted Machesky’s resignation after he was forced to resign because of a stipulation with his employment as Penn Hills public safety director, which forbids him from holding public office.
Assuming his role as chair, Machesky thanked the committee for giving him the honor to serve, to “do the right thing for the district and to look out for the education of the students and the citizens.”
Former committee chair, Tom George, and co-chair, the Rev. Peter Malik, were appointed vice chairs of the committee.
Malik said he is “proud” to serve under Machesky, who supported the taxpayers of the district during the controversial $44 million high school building project, which the board rejected in May.
In a first matter of business, Machesky questioned the $50 million building project recently proposed by district Architect Mark Altman of Altman & Altman in Uniontown that would convert the 1910 section of the high school into a district middle school.
Machesky said when he served on the school board Altman advised the board that the 1910 section of the school needed to be torn down and was not fit to be used as a school building.
“This plan has polarized us and the community more,” said Machesky. “There has to be a balance between what is needed in the schools and what the community can afford.”
Board member William Rittenhouse Jr. also attended the citizens meeting, voicing his concern about the school district’s finances, particularly if the board decides to go ahead with a $50 million building project.
Even with the $34.8 million the district has available for a building project and the additional $6 million Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) recently accepted by the board, an additional $10 million will be needed to fund the project, said Rittenhouse.
Moving forward with the proposed building project would push the district’s debt to around $85 million, he said.
While the source of the additional money remains in question, so does how much the plan could raise taxes, though members of the citizens advisory committee are afraid a tax increase is looming if the plan is given the go ahead.
“Where will people build homes with the tax structure?” asked George. “They will have the (school district’s) debt load, which will keep the taxes high.”
Machesky called the board’s recent appointment of Charles Castor, who will officially take Machesky’s vacant seat after he is sworn in, “a blatant slap in the face and a shunning of taxpayers in the district.” Castor was voted out of office a year ago because of his support for the former high school project.
“This was someone who clearly was rejected by the taxpayers,” added Rittenhouse, who said the philosophy of the district should be to look at all candidates and choose the best one.
Rittenhouse said the voice of the taxpayers is not being heard.
“When the board reorganized, I wanted to include a focus on the taxpayers, but that is not the attitude of my current peers,” he said.
Machesky noted that he believes some board members will be “helpful” because they, like him, have the betterment of the district along with the students and taxpayers at heart.