Mayor to appoint acting police chief
Uniontown Mayor James Sileo said Wednesday he will ask police Capt. Ronald Kozak to begin serve as acting police chief on Sept. 16, the day after current Chief Kyle Sneddon retires. The mayor also said he will eventually ask Kozak if he wants the chief’s job.
Sileo praised Sneddon, who announced Tuesday that he was retiring after 24 years on the force including eight years as chief, at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
“Kyle has done so much for the city of Uniontown,” Sileo said. “Every time I needed him, he was right there.”
The mayor said he is proud of Sneddon and proud that he appointed him as chief.
Sneddon succeeded Blair R. Jones Sr., a current city councilman, as chief of police, Sileo said.
He said Sneddon’s last day on the job will be Sept. 15, but he will remain on the payroll through early 2007 due to accumulated vacation and compensation days.
The city will try to reach an agreement with Sneddon in which he would be compensated for the time he is owed so a new chief can be appointed, Sileo said.
If Kozak accepts the acting chief position, it will not come with a pay raise, but he would receive a raise if he becomes chief, Sileo said.
The mayor also said Kozak has worked for the police department for about four years more than Sneddon.