SHENANGO VALLEY Consolidation idea is not done deal, leader says

Residents of the five municipalities are invited to attend the committee meetings to express their opinions.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- A consultant directing the committee studying the possible consolidation of five Shenango Valley municipalities said some people mistakenly believe consolidation is a done deal.
The Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee has made no such recommendation, said Alan Kugler of the Northwest Division of the Pennsylvania Economy League.
It's true that the committee is working on a model for the consolidation of the five municipalities, but that's really only to see if a consolidation might work, Kugler said.
The committee hasn't taken any position on the issue, and even when it does, it will be only a recommendation, he said.
The committee must present its recommendations, if it has any, to the governing bodies of Sharon, Farrell, Hermitage, Sharpsville and Wheatland.
The final decision won't be made there either, however. Any proposed change in government must be put to the voters of the affected municipalities in a referendum.
If the committee recommends consolidation but the council of a particular municipality opts not to put the issue on the ballot, the voters can force a referendum if they can secure the support of enough of their fellow residents on a petition.
The eight subcommittees
There are eight subcommittees working on the model, covering government structure and legal services; sewer and water; community and economic development, building and code enforcement and planning and zoning; finance and personnel; police; fire; recreation and streets and traffic signals.
Kugler said all but the police, water and sewer and finance subcommittees have completed their work, though the full committee has yet to vote on any recommendations.
The study is at least a year behind schedule. It was launched in early 1999 and was to be completed in two years.
Kugler said in early 2001 that he wanted to have the model ready for review by the end of that year, but it didn't happen.
Gathering the necessary information from the five municipalities and getting the volunteers on the committee to come up with proposals for the eight subcommittee targets has taken a lot longer than anticipated.
Kugler said the committee welcomes visitors at its monthly meetings, noting they are invited to express their opinions on the subcommittees' work.
Even if the committee votes to recommend consolidation, there will be a wide range of public information and discussion sessions to review it before it is presented to anyone, he said.
The next committee meeting is 6:30 p.m. July 25 in Farrell. The location isn't final yet, but the Stey-Nevant Public Library is the likely site.