Although Robert Jazwinski is chairman of the finance subcommittee for a consolidation study of Shenango Valley municipalities, he's less interested in the dollars and cents of budgets and taxes.

Jazwinski is focusing on the area's long-term financial prospects and whether the quality of life can be sustained or improved.

The Hermitage citizen representative of the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee sees a local economy that is creating jobs on a par with state and national levels and five municipalities that rely on each other economically.

But he also sees a declining, aging population and falling incomes.