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[Lifetime]

Here we go again.... front page Herald.... CONSOLIDATION. So now the Farrell Council has ...again wanted to revisit. Even the Sharon Council is aware. A few years ago there was an attempt to vote for consolidation that met with defeat. It was to include all of the municipalities of the Shenango Valley. Well all I saw was this..... NO WAY!!! We don't want Sharon and Farrells problems to be ours!!! Well apparently they don't have good eyesite.... they HAVE the same problems...NOW.... but they haven't grown up just yet.
 
I had to laugh when I read, that one ( maybe more) Council members didn't know it was "that bad" in Farrell and Sharon. Like it was a message from God... "Yes my Children.... there is a smaller tax base and yes... they cannot pay their sewer and trash fees before they are sent to collections." Where in HELL have these elected officials been? Do they really listen to those who pay the taxes? I didn't mention names so those who don't know, will seek and read this almost laughable article.
 
Here are the facts following the 2000 census (2010 is yet to come and shouldn't change the fact of size.)
 
Population
 
Sharon              16,328
Farrell                 6,050
______________________
 
Total                 22,378... give or take the 2010 Census results.
 
 
Hermitage ( largest city)     16,157 .... give or take....
 
There is advantages to being the largest city in Mercer County...some of it is not just cash flow from within but funds from the State and Fed levels. With it will also have to come...consolidation of the political and safety force structures. This will also equate savings. Now..add to that... the school system  ...
 
We don't NEED to ask the other cities of our Valley to do this. I remember, many decades ago, when there was a push to consolidate and rename the valley entity... "Shenango City"... and we would have boasted about a possible International Airport. But times were good and jobs were aplenty so.... our Fathers said we can "go it alone" and no one went for the plan. Now we are faced with "body rot" and financial decline. The only ones who don't want this are the ones who don't see the maladies as clear as the people of Sharon and Farrell. Their problems are slowly creeping into their cities, but heads look the other way and brains are on coast.
 
I say, Sharon...Farrell.... go for it before it is too late. Become ONE again. In doing so...we will surely have growing pains but, in the end... we have ,combined, land for businesses, and with that... maybe will be able to clean up the areas of dilapidation and be able to make sure there can be a sustainable, tax base as well as cement the abilities for those property owners to be able to stay and live in their homes as opposed to bailing out. It is a catch 22... we need people to attract business and we need business to attract people. We have the "educated" people. What we have to do is convince them to stay. We have the secondary and primary schools and one of the best colleges within the borders. We also have many Tech schools close by as well. Combine our two communities and see how far this will go.
 
 
 

[Lifetime]

Ok... here is what I have been looking at.... 2 mice, screaming for help..... no one seems to notice or care. Now..... population and VOTE wise.... local and at consol size.... maybe more qualified would want the positions. Now we are at cat or dog size..... louder voice and eligible for State and Fed monies that we didn't have a chance at as well as better contracts and prices for work done....Hmmmmm abandoned homes and contract to tear them down.... since there are more in the community.... perhaps a better unit price. So clean up would or could be price doable. Now combine the open areas that we may share and now we could have a company willing to deal with ONE instead of 2 or more.
 
To remain a mouse with a barely audible squeak is not what we need. We need a voice and voice is size. If there is one thing I learned when dealing with Legislation at all levels..... the squeaky hinge gets the oil. 22k+ makes more noise than 16K+ or 6K+.
 
Another thing too is a more powerful voice in the share of moeies that seems to stay mostly in the Youngstown area. We would be a bigger entity instead of 2 small ones begging for a share.
 
I think your example of larger cities spitting into smaller communities is valid but sometimes communities grow too big to be sustained. I think the opposite is our malady. We re losing population in both communities and we cannot continue to keep 2 complete government structures as opposed to maybe 1 1/2 of the personnel without duplication. Schools and their admin included. A savings for those still paying the tax that is increasing as we speak. We have 2 complete Police dept., 2 fire dept. and 2 separate school admins....  That is a possible area of savings. Contracts for salt for winter... unit price lowered... hell maybe we can even pressure Cable TV.... Larger Grants.....
 
I am no expert but I think some of what I stated is feasible. Who knows..... maybe we can intice others to join in if the pluses occur.... Wheatland, Shenango, even West Middlesex. I am not thinking Hermitage and Sharpsville as they seem to not want any part of the rest of us.... but...wouldn't turn them down if they want a part....would be nice to see "SHENANGO CITY" actually happen even iof it is 4 or 5 decades after the initial idea. If you look at the Shenango Valley.... we can easily become geographically ONE.... it is the attitudes that keeps us split.... the NOMW ( not on my watch )and NIMBY's and all.
 
Fact....we are sinking as we are now. Sharon and Farrell are closest to the hole in the hull. We don't have enough people here who do the bailing. If every community doesn't help bail and plan ahead.... even those on the deck will eventually get wet feet and have to tread water as well. Sink or Swim... Sharon and Farrell has to take the first step. We were one before..... doing it again may be the answer or at least the first step. If we remain as we are, I think the writing is on the wall and ACT 47 is our sad future. Then we watch as the tax base get even smaller. All of this IMHO
 
 
 

Well my Brains must be on the Coast...in a Heavy Fog may I add...with my Poor Eye site...I just do not see it as Clear as you...or the people of Farrell and Sharon...I am not sure that Bigger...is Better...if you can not clean up the Dilapidated Areas as a Small City...how would you do this as a Larger City???...but I would be open to see...what plans are out there...I am not Closed Minded...maybe just have Poor Eye sight...as I see Cities around us...splitting up into to Smaller Cities...and so far have been successful...IMO... 

[Jayhawk]

The real money to be saved is by combining school districts, but, hey, Sharon+Farrell cities is a good start toward something.

I'm not sure where there is much money left to save in farrell, other than office staffers. Police already is part of SW regional (which probably could save sharon money to join). Street dept is down to a guy or two, and fire is part volunteer (and now automatically has mutual responses to and from sharon, which i'm told is a great thing for firefighter safety knowing more help is on the way)

I had to laugh when i read the letter to the editor today about the 13 school superintendents being co-chairs of the next united way campaign. Yes, 13 people whose  combined salaries exceed the budget of the UW by about 1/3.

It's also the same group who keep locking local taxpayers into expensive new projects -- far more than any city project, other than sewers -- while enrollments drop and suitable facilities already exist a mile or two away in a neighboring school district.

[Lifetime]

ROTFLMFAO
 

Lifetime...I like your thinking...I elect you Manager...of the New City...Keep Jayhawk...in mind for any open positions... ...