Check controversy surrounds Clairton city council meeting

There were fireworks at the Clairton City Hall on Tuesday night as a man running for mayor is raising questions about whether a city check went through the proper approval process. 

It all stems from questions of who actually signed off on the check and the Clairton mayor says he hasn't done anything wrong and it's all about politics, created by the man who wants to replace him. 

Mayoral candidate Jim Cerqua filed Right To Know requests, which he presented at the city council meeting on Tuesday night, questioning Mayor Rich Lattanzi about a check from the City of Clairton to Councilwoman Levina Lasich for $416 in October. 

The check was a payment of a notary license for 12 months signed by the mayor and stamped with the city manager's name, but the city manager said he had no idea about the check because he was not at work when it was signed. 

"You have your name on here and Howard's stamp on here," Cerqua said at the meeting. "There is a comment here that says 'approved by Howard Bedner.'" 

"Regardless of what happens in the city when there is a check involved, Howard and myself are the signatories," Mayor Lattanzi responded. "If Howard is not there, we will stamp his name; if I am not there, they stamp my name." 

When questioned by Cerqua at the meeting if Bedner approved it, the mayor responded "I don't know who put that on, I did not." 

Beyond just the check, there was also an invoice that claimed the payment was approved by the city manager, who claimed he didn't and couldn't have signed off on it. 

Lattanzi said the handwriting on the approval isn't his. 

We spoke with both Mayor Lattanzi and Cerqua following the meeting. 

"We have an office manager who generates the check and I just them," Mayor Lattanzi said. "I didn't make the check. Either I sign it or he signs it. If the other person can't be there, the office, which is the finance office, they stamp the other person's name. I never stamped anybody's name." 

"Somebody signed that check or ordered it," Cerqua said. "I can't say he did, but one of those five did. Everybody put their head down. What I'm saying is I'll take it to the agency and let them investigate and find out who actually did it." 

The mayor said that Councilwoman Lasich had provided free notary services to the city and redevelopment authority for years and she ultimately decided to return the check over this controversy.