MARS — After months of public meetings, financial analysis and negotiations between municipal officials, Mars Borough Council voted 6-1 Monday night to approve an agreement that would merge the borough with Adams Township and create a new municipality known as Mars Township.
Councilman William Lambert cast the lone dissenting vote.
The vote followed a public hearing that drew borough residents, Adams Township residents and representatives of community organizations, including the Mars Area Public Library. The meeting also drew coverage from several Pittsburgh television news stations as the proposed merger moved one step closer to voters.
Adams Township supervisors previously approved the merger agreement. With approval now secured from both governing bodies, voters in both municipalities will have the final say in the November election.
If voters in both Mars Borough and Adams Township approve the referendum, the new municipality would officially take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
Monday’s hearing included questions and discussion about taxes, police coverage, municipal services, employees, parks, utilities, the future of the library and how Mars Borough residents would be represented during and after the transition.
Council members said the agreement is intended to serve as a roadmap for the transition if voters approve the merger. Much of the detailed work involving zoning, ordinances and the integration of municipal operations would take place during 2027. The agreement also includes provisions designed to protect current borough employees and provide positions at compensation levels equal to or greater than their current pay.
One of the most discussed issues during the hearing was the financial impact of the merger.
Officials said Mars Borough residents would see a reduction in the municipal millage rate, although the exact effect on individual property owners would depend on assessed property values. The change would apply only to municipal taxes and would not affect county or school district taxes.
Officials also discussed a financial analysis conducted during the merger process that projected approximately $200,000 in annual positive cash flow through the consolidation of services and elimination of certain duplicative expenses.
Council members emphasized that both municipalities are entering the proposed merger with balanced budgets, no significant municipal debt and substantial assets.
The discussion also focused heavily on public safety.
Mars currently provides police coverage for much of the day but does not operate its own department around the clock. Officials said becoming part of the larger municipality would provide borough residents with 24-hour police coverage and greater staffing depth.
Residents also asked about the future of borough employees. Council members said protecting employees was one of their earliest priorities in negotiating the agreement and that the transition process would include detailed discussions about integrating personnel from both municipalities.
The Mars Borough water system is expected to continue operating, and officials said utilities, mailing addresses and postal service would not change simply because the new municipality would be named Mars Township.
The future of the Mars Area Public Library was another recurring topic.
Council members said years of difficulty finding a long-term solution for the library helped drive broader conversations about cooperation between the two municipalities. If voters approve the merger, officials said moving forward with plans for the library would be among the first priorities of the transition process.
Residents also asked about the future of borough parks, including Marburger Field. Council members said the intention is for the parks to remain recreational spaces and suggested that combining the resources of the two municipalities could provide additional staffing and opportunities for programming and facility sharing.
Before the vote, council members were given an opportunity to explain their positions.
Councilwoman Jana Snavely reflected on the shared identity that already exists between the two communities, noting that many people throughout the Mars Area School District identify themselves as being from Mars regardless of whether they live within the borough boundaries.
Councilman Brad Price discussed the financial strength of both municipalities and said Mars Borough is bringing substantial assets, a balanced budget and no debt to the proposed merger.
Councilman John McWilliams addressed concerns about preserving Mars’ identity and representation through the transition. He said committees and an advisory structure were created to help ensure that borough concerns continue to have a voice as the two governments work toward combining operations.
Council President Mike Fleming said the decision is significant because of the borough’s long history but said he believes the merger will ultimately benefit both communities.
“It’s hard to say you’re 100% on any big decision,” Fleming said. “My gut is that this, in the long run, is a mutually beneficial decision for Adams and Mars.”
He added that the ultimate decision belongs to the residents.
“Let’s get it on the ballot. Let’s get it moving, because ultimately it is up to borough and township residents,” Fleming said. “It’s not up to the seven of us.”
Lambert did not make a statement during the council comment period before casting his no vote.
After the meeting, Lambert told The 228 Times that he voted against the agreement because he believes more information is needed.
“I need more information,” Lambert said. “More information than what’s on there. That’s all.”
Lambert, 76, said he grew up in Mars and has served on council for approximately six or seven years during his current tenure. He also previously served on council in the 1990s. Lambert said he left the area to serve in Vietnam and later lived in Boston before returning to Mars.
Councilman Eric Pomeroy said his own position on the merger changed during the process.
“I’ll be on the record and say that originally when this was all proposed to us, I was against it,” Pomeroy said.
He said he initially had concerns about unanswered details and the process itself, but became more comfortable as joint committees were formed and the agreement developed.
Pomeroy said one of his concerns was protecting Main Street, borough businesses and residents.
“I’m not selling the soul of Mars to keep a library in Mars,” Pomeroy recalled saying during the earlier stages of the discussion.
But after additional meetings with Adams Township supervisors and more work on the agreement, Pomeroy said he believes the proposal is good for both municipalities.
Councilman James Garrity emphasized the significance of allowing voters—not the seven members of borough council—to make the final decision.
He said the council’s responsibility was to move the proposal to the point where residents could decide its future at the ballot box.
During the hearing, council members also praised the level of cooperation between Mars and Adams Township officials throughout the merger discussions. They pointed to the communities’ existing connections through the school district, fire and ambulance services, sewage authority, library and post office as examples of how closely intertwined the two municipalities already are.
As the hearing moved toward a vote, Mars resident Sally Trugan offered a reminder that the relationship between the two communities extends beyond municipal boundaries and the outcome of a referendum.
Regardless of what voters ultimately decide, Trugan said, the people of Mars and Adams Township will remain neighbors.
“One thing that will never change is that we’re all neighbors,” Trugan said. “We all love each other.”
She said that sense of community has endured throughout her 43 years in Mars.
“What happens when somebody goes down? Neighbors come. People come,” Trugan said. “We have done that for as long as I’ve been here. That will never change.”
Her comments brought the discussion back to the relationships that already connect the two communities, regardless of whether voters ultimately decide to make that connection official through the creation of Mars Township.
For Rose and Robert Vresko, who have lived in Mars for approximately 12 years and have been married for 49 years, the proposed merger represents an opportunity for the borough to grow.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Rose Vresko said before the meeting. “This would really help the community, I think, to grow.”
She said she believes becoming part of a larger municipality could help revitalize downtown Mars, attract businesses and provide additional resources.
“There’s nowhere for Mars to go as it is right now without help,” she said. “And I think Adams Township could really help Mars to grow into being something more thriving and more businesses come to the area.”
The Vreskos said they also see potential benefits from additional staffing, stronger ordinance enforcement and 24-hour police coverage.
Robert Vresko pointed to Adams Township’s experience developing parks and community resources as something that could benefit Mars.
“I think bringing that knowledge over to Mars would help, you know, rebuild Mars downtown and the library and stuff for everybody,” he said.
For the couple, changing the name of the combined municipality to Mars Township would not erase the community’s identity.
“In my mind, there’s no difference,” Rose Vresko said. “It’s still going to be Mars.”
The merger proposal now moves from municipal officials to the residents of both communities.
Voters in Mars Borough and Adams Township must each approve the referendum for the merger to proceed. If either municipality rejects the proposal, the merger will not take effect.
If both approve it, the transition toward Mars Township would begin in earnest during 2027, with the new municipality officially taking effect Jan. 1, 2028, according to Council President Mike Fleming.
After months of discussion by elected officials, the next decision will belong to the voters.
