Chester's receiver halts unauthorized stormwater board salaries

Chester's state-appointed receiver, Michael Doweary, has ordered the city's Stormwater Authority to stop paying salaries to six members of its board. Doweary claims that these salary payments were never approved by the Chester City Council, as required by law. The board members affected include Susan Dennis, Fred Green, John Shelton, Joy Taylor, Portia West, and Elizabeth Williams. Green and West are also serving as City Council members, while Taylor is the city controller. Doweary noted that Portia West's term expired in October 2024, yet she still remains on the board and continues to receive payments. Doweary's order stops current and future salary payments. He also mentioned the potential to recover past unauthorized payments to these individuals. The receiver's office has not commented further on the order, but Doweary indicated that the Stormwater Authority has known about these issues for months. In a related note, Doweary has faced conflicts with Stormwater Authority officials over governance concerns. He previously filed a motion in bankruptcy court to investigate the authority's finances, suggesting that it conducted unauthorized actions. Rick Siger, secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development, has now nominated Vijay Kapoor to take over Doweary's role as he steps down. Doweary's plan to help Chester out of bankruptcy involves managing the city's water assets more effectively.