WEST MIDDLESEX, SHENANGO TWP. To cut costs, officials mull sharing services

Police will be the first area to be scrutinized.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. -- Elected officials from the borough and surrounding Shenango Township agree on one thing -- they're going to talk further about shared services in an effort to reduce government costs.
Borough council and the township supervisors held what is expected to be the first of many discussions on the subject at borough hall Monday in a session that drew about 30 people from the two municipalities.
The immediate consensus appeared to be for the borough to look at buying police services from the township.
West Middlesex eliminated its own police department eight years ago when it joined the Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Department, which also covers Farrell and Wheatland.
Cost estimate
Ron Preston, township police chief, presented preliminary figures showing that his department could provide two-cruiser coverage for the borough and township for 20 out of every 24 hours and one cruiser for the two municipalities for the remaining four hours at a cost of between $92,000 or $93,000 to the borough.
West Middlesex is paying $98,650 this year to the regional department.
Mayor David George said the borough would have to notify the regional department by November if it intends to pull out of that agency. The result would likely be some layoffs in that department, he said.
Robert Lucich, borough council president, said the police issue appears to be the easiest method of sharing services and that will be explored first.
The two governing bodies will meet in a work session again at 8 p.m. March 1 at the Shenango Township building to continue those discussions and begin looking at issues such as street and sewer departments.
Fire service
The issue of joining fire services may be a bit tougher. There is some "extreme hate" between the Shenango and West Middlesex volunteer fire departments, said Rod Garrett, a 14-year member of the township department.
George said the two departments were a single unit until Shenango Township formed its own department in 1972 after a falling-out among members. Garrett said he doesn't know the reason behind the animosity -- but that it would be a real impediment to joining the two forces.
Nevertheless, Garrett was one of those at the meeting calling for a full consolidation of the two municipalities into a new government entity. It would be best to tackle the concept of full consolidation with the police, fire and other issues falling into line, he suggested.
Harold Selby, a former borough fire chief, offered the same suggestion, and some of the elected officials said they favor full consolidation.
Lucich and Supervisor Charles Gilliland both said they support the idea, and George said the consolidation issue could follow attempts to resolve the police and fire issues.
gwin@vindy.com