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Marla Marcinko
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TAB 7
• Respond to requests for help or information from residents.
Van Horne called the reasons behind his dismissal "excuses," noting that he received raises that
increased his salary from $88,000 to $93,000 during his 18 months on the job. "It's been my
experience that you don't usually get raises if you're doing a terrible job," said Van Horne, 62,
who described the work environment as "radioactive."
Mayor Anthony DeLuca Jr. said he is in no particular hurry to find a permanent replacement for
Van Horne. Mohammed F. Rayan, the municipality's public works director, has been serving as
interim manager. Rayan, 47, has a degree in civil engineering and has worked for the
municipality since 1999. "Mo lives here, so he's already invested in the community, and there
won't be an issue with complying with the residency requirement, which has been a problem in
the past," DeLuca said. "I'd like to give him a chance to see how he does."
DeLuca and Kuhn said Van Horne's failure to move to Penn Hills contributed to their decision to
fire him.
Rick Schuettler, managing director of the Association for Pennsylvania Municipal Management,
said the turnover rate could make it difficult to attract candidates if Penn Hills decides to hire
someone other than Rayan. "I think some people will certainly stop and take a long hard look
and question whether they are getting in the middle of a volatile situation," Schuettler said.
DeLuca said he believes what's most important is having someone committed to improving the
municipality of more than 44,000 people. "We (council) want to change the direction this
community is headed," DeLuca said. "To do that, we have to have a manager who can prioritize
the things to make that happen. We just haven't found that person yet."
Exodus
Penn Hills Council has fired or accepted the resignations of four managers since March 2004.
Here's a look at their backgrounds:
• John Brennan has a degree in urban management and policy studies from the University
of Pittsburgh and spent 30 years with the municipality, working his way up from laborer
to manager. He lasted eight years as manager, fired 2.5 months after Mayor Anthony
DeLuca Jr. took office in 2004.
• Peter Colangelo has a degree in civil engineering and had 43 years of federal and state
government experience, including running the state Fish and Boat Commission, when he
became manager. He resigned after four months.
• Marla Marcinko has a master's degree in public administration from San Diego State
University and more than 20 years of experience in municipal government. She resigned
after 18 months.
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