We're encouraged that city and county leaders seem to be more open to the idea of meeting in the spirit of cooperation, and we hope to see these meetings happen more often.

Auburn City Manager Mark Palesh and Mayor Michael Quill say meeting with their counterparts in the county Legislature helps advance the goals of both municipalities. And that's exactly what they should be doing, because many of the issues that affect our daily lives don't confine themselves to geographic boundaries.

Policies and laws written on behalf of city residents affect non-residents who vacation, go to school or conduct business in the city, and vice versa.

One issue that still needs to be worked out is the city's share of the county's sales tax revenue, with consideration to the fact that the city provides services vital for area development. The potential regionalization of area firefighting services also needs to be considered from several perspectives.

Auburn cannot prosper on its own and neither can the many towns around it.

City officials could take this idea one step further and plan a series of public meetings, perhaps one every four months, where elected officials could exchange information with each other. Leaders from area town boards should be included, too.

The only caveat we'll add is for officials to make sure the public knows where and when the discussions will take place. We've had past trouble with members of governmental bodies trying to hammer out public policy behind closed doors.

Keeping the lines of communication open is important. Occasional meetings of two or 22 elected officials would be an opportunity to help avoid misunderstandings; to share expertise on specific issues; and work cooperatively on our shared interests.