The South Portland City Council is scheduled to take a final vote on a plan to consolidate the city’s bus service into the Greater Portland Transit District and have Metro take over services long-term.

If passed, the merger would take effect in January.

Metro temporarily took over bus services this summer after Rick Sargent, longtime operations supervisor of South Portland Bus Service, retired in April and Bus Director Donna Tippett resigned in May.

“There’s no No. 1 person and No. 2 person at the bus service,” City Manager Scott Morelli said at a May council meeting.

Maintaining the current level of service has been a priority vocalized by the council in previous meetings addressing the Metro merger.

The council’s meeting will be held at City Hall at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8.