Some Farrell council members aren't necessarily against the Shenango Valley Initiative's plan to hold a regional summit that will address the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee's work from a "social justice" perspective.

But they are against paying for it, at least for now.

Council tabled a motion to spend $500 on the summit. Any council member could resurrect the issue later.

The initiative announced it will hold the summit June 17 and 18 and has invited John Powell, chairman of the University of Minnesota Law School's Institute on Race and Poverty, and David Rusk, a former New Mexico legislator and former mayor of Albuquerque, to take part.

SVI summit planners said it would help residents of Farrell, Sharon, Hermitage, Sharpsville and Wheatland -- the towns are studying whether to merge or consolidate -- work through issues that arise from the study.

Specifically, SVI wants to look at the study from standpoints such as poverty, housing, land use, government waste and disparities in property tax rates.

The initiative is asking each town to contribute some money to support the summit.

"I support it, except for the money," said Councilwoman Helen Marenchin. "We're all for social justice, American pie and all of that."

Mrs. Marenchin added she's not sure how the money will be spent.

Mayor William Morocco, a member of the study committee's coordinating committee, said he supports spending money on the summit because of the role the initiative could play in explaining study issues to residents of Farrell.

There might be some people who will pay more attention to SVI, a faith-based community organization, than they have to the committee's progress through its monthly meetings, Morocco said.

Tom Tulip of the Mercer County office of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Farrell's economic recovery coordinator, characterized social justice issues as being different than the committee's focus, which is financial.

But Councilman Louis Falconi said the committee also has looked at social justice issues.

He added the chance of merging or consolidating the towns is a "long shot," and he fears SVI will complicate what needs to be a very simple issue.

Falconi also is holding a grudge against SVI for its actions when Farrell was fighting to keep the Shenango Valley Multi-Service Center in town.

The initiative led an effort to keep the center in Farrell, but when Mercer County Area Agency on Aging decided to move it to Hermitage, SVI said it would support the move.

"I think we got backed out on at the end," Falconi said.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharon-herald.com