Steven Theiss is satisfied with the work of the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee.

No matter that the committee decided not to recommend one way or the other whether Farrell, Sharon, Hermitage, Sharpsville and Wheatland should merge or consolidate services, and members differed over important points of how a consolidated city might function.

"It really shouldn't be up to the committee to decide whether they do it or not," said the resident of Sharon and small business owner. "It was up to them to work up the mechanics of how it would work."

Theiss said the next step in the consolidation discussion is clear.

"It should, at last, come to a vote," said Theiss, a fixture at committee meetings.

Cheryl Panek, who also attended Thursday's committee meeting, believes the committee should have worked until it made a recommendation, but she agrees the time for a vote is now.

So does Martha Richards of Farrell. Ms. Richards said she hopes leaders emerge in each community who will take the final committee report and ask their councils to pursue consolidation.

Whether it happens now or later, the towns eventually will consolidate, she predicted.

"I may not live to see it but, in order for the community to survive, we're going to have to consolidate," said Ms. Richards, co-executive director of Southwest Gardens Economic Development Corp., Farrell.

Ms. Panek, of Sharon, and Theiss said they favor consolidation, but do not look at it as a godsend to save the Shenango Valley or spur a new era of prosperity.

"It's not without minuses and it's not a perfect solution, but it is a way to improve our lot," she said.

"I think it's a good idea to do it," Theiss said, "I'm not sure it's going to make a huge difference in the future of the Shenango Valley."

The valley is losing population and jobs, the population is aging and the effort of public officials to attract development has largely been unsuccessful, he said.

"Consolidation probably would not eliminate it," he said. "It could slow it down."

Ms. Richards said she is not worried that committee members could not come to an agreement on the structure, financing and services of a model city.

"Those things can be worked out and they will be worked out," she said.

Theiss added that the committee only could provide a guide for a new government.

"No matter what they come up with, the new government can change that in a flash," he said.

The committee members failed to look at "the big picture" in examining aspects of their work that they couldn't agree on, said Ms. Panek, executive director of Sharon Lifelong Learning Council.

"It's not about the people in the room," she said. "It's about the future."

"We're thinking too much of ourselves," Ms. Richards said. "This isn't going to affect me a lot. This is going to affect my grandchildren. We need to leave something for the future."

Mark Longietti of Farrell said he could see points on both sides of the consolidation issue. While he has not picked a side, he is happy the committee members want to continue a dialogue among officials in the five communities.

Deciding not to make a recommendation "might have been the best decision," said Longietti, a local lawyer.

Dr. Thomas Hawkins, a Hermitage resident and president of the Shenango Valley Initiative, said he was disheartened to hear committee members who, at the beginning of the study, said they were in it for the long haul, but are now ready to end it.

He said elected officials seemed more ready to quit than non-elected committee members, which he suspected was due to the upcoming election.

"There was too much worrying about 'what my neighbor might think,' " Hawkins said.

Hawkins, the former Hermitage school superintendent, added that all 25 committee members should have been at Thursday's meeting. Only 16 -- five each from Hermitage and Sharon, three from Wheatland, two from Farrell and one from Sharpsville -- showed up.

Anyone who can't make the meetings should resign and be replaced, he said.

"Where is the advocacy for a future community?" Hawkins said.

While SVI has not taken a position on consolidation, it is looking for a vision of the future that includes regionalization, whether or not consolidation is feasible, Hawkins said.

Theiss said he believes many committee members made up their minds about consolidation long ago, but added, "I don't know if it's possible, by human nature, to stay open-minded through four years to the very end."

Longietti said committee members butted heads over "difficult and politicized issues ... I don't have the answers on that."

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