The Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee could complete its work Thursday.

Now the real work begins.

That is, if the elected officials of Sharon, Hermitage, Farrell, Sharpsville and Wheatland, who have been studying whether to merge or consolidate, follow up on the limited recommendations of the report, or citizens push for something more.

"(W)e place the issue squarely in the hands of the citizens to consider whether a combined government should be created to help improve the demographic and economic trends toward a more vibrant community," states the draft report the full committee will vote on Thursday.

The report is available at www.mcrpc.com/svisc and the meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Farrell city building, 500 Roemer Blvd.

Although Farrell Mayor William A Morocco Sr. would like to see the five Shenango Valley municipalities form a new city -- and he would like the committee to make that recommendation in the report -- he's not about to ask his council to press the issue.

"It's probably best to have the thing rest with the residents," he said of consolidation. "It's the most objective way to proceed."

Morocco said he was "breathing a sigh of relief" since a new state law was passed that gives residents more flexibility in the kind of government they want to create under a petition drive.

"If there's a little cohort of people in each community that wants to meet, they can write identical consolidation questions and have it placed on the ballot simultaneously in the five municipalities," Morocco said.

Hermitage Commissioner Pat White, who does not favor consolidation and has tried to pull his city out of the study on a number of occasions, also noted the new law's benefits, but added, "I can't really see any of the communities passing petitions and getting enough signatures."

Sharon citizen representative George Gerhart said the anti-consolidation voice has been strong, but he's hoping the pro-consolidation forces will be bolstered by the committee's report, which could be approved Thursday.

"The people who are against something generally speak up," he said.

Gerhart said he hopes that people read the report and realize that, even though it makes no recommendation as to whether consolidation or merger should take place, it presents a workable government structure for a consolidated city.

The committee deadlocked over a structure for a fire service, the size of a police department and tax structure for a new city, but Gerhart said those are details that could be worked out.

He said it would take several years for a consolidated city to become functional, giving plenty of time for consideration of those details.

Sharpsville Councilman Thomas Lally said he thinks the report is good because it covers many areas. It gives fodder for both anti- and pro-consolidation forces to promote their views, which could help some sort of public consensus form.

"The report speaks for itself," he said. "The facts are there. There's no opinion in the report -- that's what I like about it."

Wheatland Mayor Thomas Stanton sees the report as a cop-out.

"Me and the committee don't agree on anything," said Stanton, adding his attendance at meetings has been sparse because he easily gets fed up with the proceedings.

"I think they're a bunch of hypocrites," he said. "They didn't recommend anything."

The report does not recommend for or against consolidation, but it does recommend the communities look at privatizing their sanitary sewer systems and develop the subcommittee reports to look for ways to cooperate.

White said he hopes sewer privatization can be worked out.

"If we could get that, that would be the biggest thing to come from this study," he said.

Lally agreed. "I think they're onto something there," he said. "There are just a lot of things coming down the road that are pretty expensive."

Stanton said he doesn't see why sewer privatization is such a big issue now. He said he sat in on meetings a few years ago on the same issue, but nothing came of it.

"If they can't get their crap together, how are they going to get together on anything else?" he said.

Gerhart said the study overcame long odds, from committee members who were staunchly anti-consolidation to those with specific agendas.

"I don't think anything undermined the process," he said.

Gerhart did not condemn the committee members who came in with less than open minds on consolidation.

"I appreciate everyone who was involved because everyone put in serious effort," he said.

Although the committee's work falls short of what he had hoped for, Morocco said he doesn't look upon the four-plus years of meetings as a waste of time.

"I guess it's better than holding a dance and nobody coming," he said.

"I don't think anybody on the committee who actually did any of the work thought the study was a waste of time," Lally said.

Stanton had another view. "I don't think they accomplished a damn thing," he said.

White said the study was a waste of his time because he thought Hermitage should have dropped out long ago. But, he thought the city's five representatives went above and beyond the call of duty.

"Hermitage was usually there in force," he said. "The other communities didn't show 100 percent. They didn't participate as we did. We made a commitment and we honored it."

White added that while he's glad the study is about to end, he will miss a part of it. He said he developed friendships with many of the other committee members.

"I hate to say this, but I'm going to miss meeting with the individuals," he said.