Hermitage Commissioners Pat White and Joseph Augustine tried to pull the city out of the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee Wednesday, but the other commissioners said they want to wait until a final report is issued.

The committee is studying whether Hermitage, Farrell, Sharon, Sharpsville and Wheatland should merge or consolidate.

Commissioners Sylvia Stull and William Scanlon said they do not favor consolidation, and Commissioner Larry Gurrera was noncommittal, but they agreed that, with the study so close to being completed, they should wait until then.

"You guys have been in it 3è years and you're going to quit five yards from the end," Gurrera said.

The committee held a private retreat Saturday to try to hammer out its model for a consolidated city and finish its report with a recommendation to the municipalities, but was unable to finish its work. A second retreat is set for Sept. 8.

White and Augustine prepared a statement read Wednesday recommending the city withdraw from the study. They said committee citizen representatives James Cardamon and George Kraynak, who did not attend the retreat, agreed with them.

"It has been apparent for some time that a consolidation for the city of Hermitage would have no advantages, only disadvantages," the statement says.

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