MARS — Council members discussed their takes on the possible outcome of the Mars-Adams Township merger vote in November at their meeting Monday.

Mayor Gregg Hartung said he distributed fact sheets to residents at a recent community event. Hartung said he ran into some support and some opposition from community members he spoke with.

“You’re not going to win everybody over, but it was a pretty equal split between people thinking, ‘I don't want things to change,’ and other people saying, ‘I’ve read the facts, (and) this sounds good,” he said.

“It looks like it’s going to be really close,” Michael Fleming, council president, said.

Fleming said he has observed the borough’s older, longtime residents being more resistant to the merger, while the younger residents think the move makes sense.

“It’s just a guesstimate at this point,” said Hartung.

• Council voted 5-0 to apply for a Local Share Account grant to buy a new borough truck with a dump body for public works.

Fleming said the price of the truck is close to $62,000 and how much of that cost the grant would cover is presently unclear.

• Council also approved the hiring of Matt Moon as a part-time police officer. Moon is a resident of Adams Township and a former Pittsburgh police officer.

Due to an ongoing police shortage in the borough, Moon is expected to start “as soon as possible” once background checks are completed, Hartung said.

• Council plans to work on the budget during a scheduled meeting on Nov. 16 and finalize the draft budget by end of month.

“I think with the 16th and the 23rd, we will be able to get through it,” Fleming said.

Council members John McWilliams and James Garrity were absent from the meeting.