Small Shenango Valley group petitions to merge communities

The issue could be on the ballot as soon as Nov. 2.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- A small group of Shenango Valley residents wants the public to decide whether five municipalities should consolidate into a single government.
A four-year study of that possibility for Hermitage, Sharon, Farrell, Sharpsville and Wheatland ended in November with no recommendation other than to continue looking at sharing services to cut costs.
Gregg Buchanan of Sample Road is spearheading an effort to get the consolidation question before the voters in a referendum in the Nov. 2 general election.
He said a handful of residents formed a committee called Citizens for the Valley to circulate petitions to get the issue on the ballot. The group has until Aug. 3 to collect voter signatures and present the petition to the county elections office, he said.
Getting the measure on the ballot could be fairly easy, because the state requires the signatures of only 5 percent of the number of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election.
That means 265 signatures in Hermitage, 179 in Sharon, 80 in Farrell, 65 in Sharpsville and 11 in Wheatland, Buchanan said.
The group has begun circulating petitions in Hermitage and Farrell and is looking for volunteers to help in the other three municipalities, he said.
The question
The petition asks if the five municipalities should consolidate as a single city to be called Shenango Valley and to be governed by a home-rule charter with a nine-member governing council.
The government study committee made no recommendations, so it's up to residents to take action, Buchanan said, adding that he feels there is a lot of support for a consolidation.
The group is looking for funding for advertising and a Web site.
Anyone wishing to help can contact the group by e-mail at shenangovalley1@yahoo.com.