PITTSBURGH — The former head of the Port Authority of Allegheny County sued the agency in federal court, alleging that its board wrongly voted to cut his pension this year.

Paul Skoutelas began receiving $9,066 a month when he retired in 2005, but the county transit agency cut his pension payment to under $5,947 in July.

The Port Authority board said the original pension was not valid because the board never approved it, and demanded that Skoutelas repay nearly $65,000 that he has received.

Instead, Skoutelas, 53, of Mount Lebanon, sued the authority in U.S. District Court on Thursday to keep his original pension.

Port Authority spokesman Bob Grove declined to comment