Memo to Lawrence and Douglas County officials: If you ever decide to pursue legislation to advance a proposal to unify your city and county governments, make sure you all are on the same page before taking your case to the Kansas Legislature.

The inability of Shawnee County and Topeka officials to speak with one voice when legislators consider a bill to create a five-member commission to study consolidation and draft a plan has been an embarrassment. The Kansas House approved the commission Friday, but not before hearing objections from Topeka City Council members.

State legislators shouldn’t be forced to mediate this squabble. As Gov. Kathleen Sebelius noted about the situation, “If they want to have a family fight, they should have it behind closed doors.”

If city and county officials can’t even agree on the provisions of legislation to start the process of unification, their chances of crafting a successful plan seems remote. Until they can get their ducks in a row, they shouldn’t be wasting the Legislature’s time.