Published Saturday, September 28, 2002
for SV merger
Herald Staff Writer
Sharon council's decision Thursday not to study whether to combine the city police department with Southwest Mercer County Regional police did not surprise some members of the Southwest police commission.
But, commission members said they wondered what Sharon council's action could mean for ongoing talks on whether to consolidate or merge five Shenango Valley municipalities.
"It's a shame of not even looking at what could happen if you get together," said Wheatland Mayor Thomas Stanton, a longtime proponent of a county-wide police department presided over by the sheriff. "You could always say no."
West Middlesex Mayor David George said the decision caps a lot of negative publicity that could have been avoided.
"They could have told us up front," he said. "Shenango Township declined. Sharon could have done the same. They requested the meeting."
That meeting, held in August, ended with shouting among participants and Sharon police charging that they were not being given a say in the discussion.
"It got blown totally out of proportion," said Farrell Councilman Robert Burich.
Stanton said James DeCapua, head of the police commission and executive director of Mercer County Regional Council of Governments, has taken a lot of undeserved heat on police matters.
DeCapua believed it was a good time to consider joining departments because Southwest Police Chief Joseph Timko is retiring, eliminating possible rancor over who would lead a new department, Stanton said
But Burich said he would rather the discussion had been postponed until the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee finishes its work.
The committee, made up of elected officials and citizens of Sharon, Farrell, Hermitage, Sharpsville and Wheatland, is studying whether the municipalities should merge or consolidate.
If the communities decide not to join, then discussion could move to smaller issues, such as services, Burich said.
"I don't think it will hurt the merger study on a whole, but it sure doesn't help," he said.
Although West Middlesex is not part of the study, George said he wonders what effect Sharon's decision will have on the study.
"I think it's going to come to a consolidation," he said. "It's got to. No one can continue to fund police, fire or anything else. It's too expensive."
"If they can't join police departments and fire departments and other services, then looking at the rest of it is crazy," Stanton said. "It's just a waste of time."
Sharon Mayor David O. Ryan said council's decision should have no bearing on the study.
"It's two entirely different issues," he said. "We don't have enough information to make a determination one way or another."
The committee has not finished its work, and the police committee has yet to make a proposal for a combined department.
Ryan said he has a plan for Sharon to take over Southwest, but his plan likely will not be discussed.
"I think if the Southwest commission would be interested in that, they can call me." he said. "I'm not going to contact them."
"He made it perfectly clear he didn't want another meeting," George said.
Burich said he is not interested in hearing Ryan's proposal.
"That's usually what you get from Sharon," he said. "These same comments came from Sharon five, six years ago. It's always what Sharon can do for Farrell and not what we can do together."
Stanton also is opposed to Ryan's plan. "We're looking for a partnership where we do have a little say," he said.
Police commission members said Southwest will continue as it has.
"As far as I'm concerned, our police department is doing a fine job and we're holding our own," Burich said.
"We'll go about doing our job," George said.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharonherald.com