Valencia not included in Adams-Mars merger
VALENCIA — As residents of Adams Township and Mars will consider a merger, Valencia — the other borough positioned squarely inside the township — is not included in the plan.
Borough Council President Shannon McKenna announced Monday, March 9, at a regular meeting that during an earlier discussion with Adams Township, it was revealed that “after reviewing our financials, (Adams Township Supervisor Russ Ford) determined that it does not make sense for Adams Township to merge with Valencia Borough, or to include us in that vote with Mars and Adams merging.”
Valencia struggles to obtain funding from an increasingly retired population that does not have eligible income to tax. Further, a sizable portion of Valencia does not pay property taxes, as it is a part of St. Barnabas, a not-for-profit senior living community.
During its meeting on Monday night, Ford addressed social media rumors that Valencia would be added to the plans for the proposed merger.
“The rumor that Valencia is going to be added into this merger is false and it’s not going to happen,” Ford said. “Mike (Tylka, township manager) and I met with Valencia today and had a discussion, so this is planned to only continue with Mars and Adams.”
The decision to exclude Valencia from the merger leaves the borough with narrow, existing options available to address funding issues, as Adams Township is its only neighbor in Butler County.
Due to its growing expenses and shrinking income, borough leaders said Monday they will continue to look for ways to provide public services, some of which are already tied to Adams Township.
Outside of the merger, the Monday meeting in Valencia covered road safety violations and burn ordinances.
Monica Palmer, who lives on Dodds Avenue, was the only resident to speak at the meeting other than members of council. Palmer worries speeding on Butler Street, which is a drop-off location for local schoolchildren, including her grandson, is an increasing public danger.
“We can sit in our living room and see the stop sign at Butler and Dodds Street and at least half the people do not stop,” she said.
She was worried for years someone would be hurt, but she resigned herself to the fact this was just the state of affairs.
That changed as Palmer described only days ago another family member was almost hit waiting at the bus stop for her grandson. Afterward, she began reaching out to the bus driver, Valencia and Adams Township for solutions.
The inclusion of Adams Township in the conversation is key for Valencia and its just over 500 residents, as Adams is contracted to provide policing services for Valencia.
After a discussion between Mayor Lori Trosky and Palmer, the pair decided it would be best if the Adams Township Police Department be contacted and, as Palmer noted, “Within 10 minutes, there was a cop sitting there on Dodds.”
Though the officer waited at the stop for only another 10 minutes, this was enough to begin to assuage Palmer’s fears. She described signs, lights and other reminders to add to the intersection and asked what else could be done, including a regular police presence.
This was answered by McKenna, who first noted, “Roads are on our radar this year,” but clarified “we can’t guarantee anything” due to Valencia’s financial struggles.
Trosky, though appreciative of the Adams Township police, was upset by the lack of communication from the department’s leadership. In particular, Trotsky said, the police chief “will not return my calls.”
Next on the agenda was a major update to Valencia’s current burning ordinance outlining what can and cannot be burned, especially in regard to unattended fires. The main issue, in addition to an update to the seven-year-old statute, is the enforcement mechanism.
McKenna, when reading over issues regarding a change to the current ordinance, expressed that police aren’t required to execute code compliance for Valencia.
Eagle staff writer William Pitts contributed to this report.
