CRESCENT SPRINGS — Suppose two cities did a merger study and no one showed any interest.

        That's the problem Crescent Springs and Villa Hills are facing, after the neighboring Kenton County cities recently completed a year-long merger study.

IF YOU GO

• What: Discussion of proposed merger with Villa Hills at Crescent Springs City Council's March 25 caucus meeting.    • When: The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Crescent Springs city building, 739 Buttermilk Pike. Residents can offer opinions or ask questions about the implications of a merger.    • Villa Hills City Council also hopes to hear what residents think about a merger at council's next meeting Feb. 20. The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. at the city building, 719 Rogers Road.    • Council also may call a meeting after that to discuss the merger study.    • To read the merger study, go to each city's Web site — www.crescent-springs.ky.us or www.villahillsky.org — or stop by one of the city buildings.

        Crescent Springs officials spent much of Monday's council meeting debating how to respond to the merger proposal, before inviting residents to offer their opinions at its March 25 meeting. Villa Hills City Council also wants its residents to offer their thoughts on a possible merger at its next regular meeting on Feb. 20, said Councilman Bob Krems. A meeting may be called after that just to discuss merger.

        The prospect of merging the cities has come up three times in the past two decades. Since the mid-1970s, the cities have shared a joint fire authority. They also work closely on recreational programs, and many of their residents worship at the same churches and attend the same schools.

        Last month, the two cities released a study that evaluated the pros and cons of a merger, but offered no recommendation. A majority of Crescent Springs (population, 3,931) and Villa Hills (population. 7,948) residents would have to approve a merger at the polls.

        In the past month, Crescent Springs residents have shown little interest in a possible merger, Mayor Claire Moriconi said, and she fears that merger talk is causing divisiveness among city council members.

        At Monday's Crescent Springs Council meeting, a motion to put the merger issue on the ballot failed. After that, the mayor cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of a resolution to suspend merger talks for 12 months.

        “It's causing divisiveness (on council) and it's just not benefiting anybody,” Ms. Moriconi said of the merger proposal. “People don't seem to care much one way or the other, so why are we banging our heads against the wall?”

        In a survey mailed to 1,882 Crescent Springs residents and businesses over the summer, citizens were asked if they preferred a full merger, a partial merger, or none at all, Ms. Moriconi said. Only 282 replied, with 104 responding they would approve a full merger.

        As further evidence of lack of interest, the two cities' computerized merger studies each have had few hits, she said. On Tuesday, 61 visitors had read the report on Villa Hills' Web site, while 66 had visited Crescent Springs' site.
       

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