By David Madden

CHERRY HILL, N. J. (CBS) - There’s been talk over the last few years of merging Cherry Hill and Merchantville. But a commission charged with looking into it has stopped, for now.

The 10 member commission, evenly split between the two municipalities, can’t find someone willing to pay for an official study that would have to precede any vote on a merger.

At a cost of $50,000 to $100,000 neither town wants to spend that kind of money. And for his part, Cherry Hill mayor Chuck Cahn favors another track altogether.

“If they cannot find the money to do the study, then what I think is the next best thing for us, today, is to pursue shared services,” Cahn says.

The last major merger of two towns in New Jersey came 60 years ago when Vineland Borough and Landis Township formed the city of Vineland. Princeton Township and Borough will join forces in January.

Cherry Hill and Merchantville still have a couple years, under a state law, to find a way to become one.