Pa. councilman under fire for giving 'comp day' on Holy Thursday

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania councilman who oversees the city’s street crew is under fire for giving those workers a comp day on Holy Thursday.

Matt Staniszewski, a councilman in Washington, Pa., says he gave workers off April 1 to extend their Easter holiday because of extra time they worked during February’s heavy snows.

But the mayor and three other council members say the workers were paid overtime for the extra work.

They’ve hired an attorney at $85 an hour to investigate whether Staniszewski violated a rule barring council members from spending money without city approval.

Staniszewski says he’s “donated” money to cover the $1,031 for the workers’ wages. City officials say he has, instead, authorized officials to deduct the money from his councilman’s pay over the next 12 weeks.