James DeCapua, executive director of Mercer County Regional Council of Governments, said Tuesday the federal government has erased Sharon as a stand-alone census area.

"The Census Bureau has merged it with Youngstown," he said. "It's part of the Youngstown metropolitan area."

The change in designation "has a far reaching impact on the flow of federal money to the area," DeCapua said.

But, he said, it won't be known for at least a year what that impact will be.

"It may be for statistical purposes only," said Sharon Mayor David Ryan.

DeCapua said the Sharon SMA, which has included all of Mercer County, fell short of the population limit in the 1990 census, but was grandfathered in.

"As far as I know, we have no appeal," he said.

DeCapua used the news to make a pitch for Farrell, Sharon, Hermitage, Sharpsville and Wheatland to consolidate.

"It's more important now that we look at a merger," he said.

"It sounds like the federal government is trying to erase you from the map," added Thomas G. Wagner, a lawyer that is consulting with the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee.

The committee is looking into whether the Shenango Valley communities should merge or consolidate.