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Wilkinsburg council fires borough manager Members split, 5-3, in sudden ouster Friday, January 08, 1999 By Eleanor Chute, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
John Marquart had a long to-do list for 1999 in Wilkinsburg: Finish the sale of tax liens. Negotiate three union contracts. Encourage development. Beautify Ardmore Boulevard. Plan improvements and marketing for the business district. Develop closer ties with community organizations and foundations.
But that list was prepared before he was fired as borough manager.
Council's 5-3 decision to fire him Wednesday at what Marquart thought would be a routine meeting left Marquart instead cleaning out his desk right after the vote.
Marquart, who has more than 20 years of public management experience, was about a week short of his second anniversary as Wilkinsburg manager.
He said he was surprised.
"There were no reasons given other than a loss of confidence. I don't understand what that means. It's difficult to hypothesize about the situation," Marquart said.
The motion to fire the manager was made by Councilwoman Denise Edwards.
"I just lost confidence," Edwards said in an interview.
She said she felt she got conflicting pictures of the borough's financial shape and was concerned there were no building demolitions in 1998. A handful of demolitions is scheduled for this month using 1998 money.
Edwards later said that she had spoken privately with Marquart about her concerns. Marquart said he was still surprised by council's vote. "She always characterized it as in her opinion. Her opinion is different than a collective opinion."
On Wednesday, four other council members agreed with Edwards to dismiss Marquart - council President Astrid Ware, Vice President Pamela Macklin and members Jonette Moon and Deirdre Baker Abbey.
Opposed were members Rudy Bocchicchio, James McGill and Alexis Nedley. Member Sandra Roberts missed the meeting due to an emergency, but later said she favored keeping the manager.
"The borough council clearly is very deeply factionalized right now. I think there is a lot of distrust," said McGill.
In an interview, Edwards said she reviewed Marquart's contract over the holidays to see the proper procedure for firing him. She said she talked to some council members ahead of time but not all of them because, "It wasn't a campaign," and that she simply had decided to "run [the idea of firing Marquart] up the flagpole."
Bocchicchio, McGill, Roberts and Nedley said they were surprised. Ware, Moon, Macklin and Abbey could not be reached for comment.
Bocchicchio said: "There was no reason to fire him. I think it was a low blow. It's going to cause a lot of problems."
McGill said the motion was a "complete shock. It's totally unjustified."
"The thing that is most disconcerting is what I believe is going on is that some of the council members who have been in office for just the past year are engaged in an ongoing process of micromanagement - one might even say interference - in the day-to-day operations of the borough."
Nedley, who considers Marquart a good manager, said, "Mr. Marquart was not allowed to manage," and Roberts agreed, saying, "I feel that the borough manager has not been allowed to run the borough without council members interfering in the day-to-day operations."
Wilkinsburg had been considered financially distressed since 1998, but the state last fall removed its distressed status. The borough sued in Commonwealth Court to retain the distressed status because borough officials believe that it still needs the additional taxes a distressed municipality can charge. A hearing is set for next month.
Edwards said a "good deal" of her dissatisfaction had to do with the "whole distressed procedures."
Wilkinsburg ended 1997 with an unrestricted fund balance of $827,000. In May 1998 after Macklin reported that a $600,000 deficit was expected in 1998, Marquart said he expected the borough to have a deficit of less than $100,000 for 1998 or maybe even break even.
While the final figures aren't in, Marquart now expects a deficit of about $100,000, and said that would come out of the fund balance left at the end of 1997, still leaving some fund balance.
Marquart counts as his accomplishments the comprehensive plan approved last year and involvement in the regional 911 center.
"I like to think I left it [Wilkinsburg] in good shape. I think time will tell where it's going to go," said Marquart.
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