Adams Township, Mars residents vote overwhelmingly in favor of merger
Residents of both Mars and Adams Township on Tuesday, Nov. 3, voted overwhelmingly in support of merging their two municipalities into one called Mars Township.
Voters in both Mars and Adams Township were faced with a yes-or-no ballot question Tuesday asking whether they wanted the two municipalities to merge.
According to unofficial election results reported in Butler County Bureau of Elections’ summary report, residents in Mars voted in favor of the merger by a vote of 539 to 138, while Adams Township residents voted in favor by a total of 5,707 to 2,318, making for a combined total of 6,246 yes votes (71.8%) to 2,456 no votes (28.2%).
According to Pennsylvania law regarding municipal mergers and consolidations, the merger ballot question required a majority “yes” decision from the voters of both municipalities to pass — a majority “no” vote in either one would have been enough to sink it.
Under the terms of the joint merger agreement, which both municipalities approved earlier this year, both Adams Township and Mars will continue to operate as separate municipalities for the remainder of 2026 and 2027, but the merger is expected to finalize on Jan. 1, 2028.
Once the merger is finalized, the new Mars Township will be governed by what is currently the Adams Township Board of Supervisors.
“We had a playbook, we were transparent and we followed that playbook all the way until Election Day today,” said Adams Township Supervisor Russell Ford, who was one of the key voices in promoting the benefits of the merger for both municipalities. “I could not be more proud to have the opportunity to lead these people through this whole process and I’m excited for the future of Mars Township.”
“We’re certainly going to take a breath and enjoy it,” said Mars Borough Councilman G. Michael Fleming on election night. “The message has been sent loud and clear within the borough as to what their expectations are for us to do. From this point on, it’s just execute the plan.”
