What’s next for the Mars-Adams Township merger? Process could take years
With officials from Adams Township and Mars discussing a possible merger, there’s undoubtedly plenty of conversation ahead on how to integrate the two municipalities.
The first of those conversations is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at Twelve Oaks Mansion on Scharberry Lane in Adams Township, where residents of the southwestern Butler County communities will be able to share their opinions on the possible merger.
But since the joint announcement from Mars and Adams Township on Monday, Jan. 5, chatter is already happening across the neighborhoods and businesses that call the places home.
How will resources be shared across the municipalities? What’ll be the new name? What’s next?
The decision on whether or not any merger between the two municipalities goes ahead would lie in the hands of the residents. A referendum could appear on the ballot as soon as this November’s general election.
According to Mars Mayor Gregg Hartung, in the event that the residents of both municipalities vote to proceed with the merger, the municipalities would jointly work out the details on how these services would be combined.
The two municipalities share many resources, including the Adams Area Fire District, Mars Area Public Library, Breakneck Creek Regional Authority, Quality EMS, and Mars Area School District.
However, each municipality maintains separate public works, code enforcement, and parks/recreation departments, and of course, separate administrative staff.
One of the services that Mars and Adams Township do not share is police, as both municipalities maintain separate departments. Unlike Adams Township, however, Mars does not staff its department 24 hours a day.
“There would definitely be input from the police departments looking to both chiefs and officers to help with the transition,” Hartung said about the police department, while declining to speak further about what the future relationship between the two departments could look like.
Mars also maintains its own municipal water system, unlike Adams Township, which is part of the Municipal Water Authority of Adams Township. That authority also includes Callery and portions of Cranberry, Forward, and Middlesex townships. Any merger that takes place would have to include an integration of Mars’ system with the authority.
“That would need to be reviewed, and possibly some type of transition applied,” Hartung said.
Mars and Adams Township receive emergency medical service from Quality EMS. Executive director Conrad Pfeifer told the Butler Eagle that if a merger happened, he didn’t expect it to significantly impact the operations of the agency, which also covers Valencia, Callery, Middlesex Township, and part of Forward Township.
“Mars and Adams are both in our coverage area,” Pfeifer said. “I see minimal impact in regard to serving the community.”
Hartung and others involved in the merger discussions say that both townships have consulted with Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development for guidance.
“The DCED has been supportive in providing a framework for starting a process that involves the public in making the final decision in whether a merger happens or not,” Hartung said. “They will help facilitate both municipalities in this process to the point of having a referendum on the ballot in November for voters to make the decision.”
Municipal mergers in Pennsylvania are not unheard of. In fact, one was consummated earlier this month between the city of DuBois and Sandy Township in Clearfield County, a process that took over four years to complete. The merger was approved by voters in November 2021 and went into effect Monday.
“(The DCED) referenced other mergers that have happened in Pennsylvania, but each in many ways takes on their own dynamics, so it is not a cookie-cutter proposition,” Hartung said.
Even if voters in both townships approve a potential merger of the two municipalities, they may have to wait years to see the results, according to Hartung.
“From what the DCED has shared with some of the leadership, it could be anywhere from two to three years, possibly four, depending on a variety of dynamics.”
As for the name, officials said Monday that they have given some thought to what the identity of a potentially merged Mars/Adams Township would be if the merger were to go through and that any new name would reflect the identity of both places.
“We realize we cannot eliminate the name of Mars in the new name, and we can't eliminate the name of Adams,” Adams Township Supervisor Russell Ford said on Monday. “It’s premature to say at this point, but we can say that both will be in the name.”
Residents of Mars and Adams Township will get a chance to weigh in on a potential merger between their two municipalities at the meeting Jan. 22.
Both municipalities have stated that a referendum on the potential merger will likely appear on the ballot in this November’s general election.
Ford said on Monday that the Jan. 22 meeting will most likely be one of many chances for residents of Mars and Adams Township to express their take the possible merger.
“The ultimate goal, after the public meeting, is to hold further public meetings that need to be done,” Ford said.
Ford declined further comment after Monday.
