Mayor Matt Shorraw

Mayor Matt

Matthew “Matt” Shorraw, a 29-year-old, 4th generation Monessenite was elected the 20th Mayor of Monessen and took office in January 2018. Matt has been involved in community organizations and volunteerism since his time as a student at Monessen High School, and his volunteerism extends throughout various local and regional organizations.  He has been interested in the history and affairs of the City of Monessen since his early childhood, having learned much about the town’s history from his late Grandmother, Irene (Sivak) Shorraw, his friends at the Greater Monessen Historical Society, and from independent research. 

Recently, Matt released Monessen’s first-ever Mayor’s Strategic Plan. This plan will lay the groundwork for rebuilding our city, helping the residents living there, and attracting new people to visit or make Monessen their home.

Additionally, during his sometimes-tumultuous administration, Matt and his administration have been able to create a balanced budget and decrease spending in key areas by instilling financial stability and discipline. Under his leadership the City was also able to secure $19M in funding to begin work to improve the City’s aging infrastructure; re-establish professionalism and administrative infrastructure, and have continued to improve efficiency and transparency in local government. Mayor Shorraw says that much of the past year was spent updating administrative functions, and correcting errors of the past, in local government. Additionally, last year, the City was able to demolish seven blighted structures, pave four roads, and saw six vacant buildings renovated in Downtown Monessen.

Much of the past year was also spent managing the pandemic locally, and the Mayor says that he is proud of the work his administration has done at managing cases, and keeping them contained as much as possible. Shorraw cites these and many other accomplishments over the past year, despite his boycotting of City Council meetings for two years, from 2018-2019, due to corruption in local government.

The Mayor hopes to continue building upon the successes by working with federal agencies to find the money for public improvements- especially in terms of much-needed road paving; continue attracting developers to rehabilitate existing vacant properties in the City; improve and develop recreational opportunities and youth outreach, and work to lower city property taxes by encouraging development; and continually working to meet residents where they are, and hearing their stories and concerns.  

The Mayor states that Monessen needs to “capitalize on the growth occurring in Pittsburgh’s suburbs, and prepare our city so that growth and success reach all new and current residents.” Mayor Shorraw is a fourth-generation Monessenite, and Monessen’s industrial past brought his family to the City. Mayor Matt is committed to pressing forward in a positive way, and to repairing the wrongs of the past and bringing a new era of growth to the City.