It was encouraging to hear Lawrence City Manager Tom Markus support increased collaboration between the city and Douglas County. In the long run, such collaboration could create significant savings for taxpayers.

As part of his City Hall Update on Tuesday, Markus said a new state law that places limits on property taxes would make collaboration between the city and county more necessary than ever. The new law requires cities and counties to get voter approval before increasing property tax revenues beyond the rate of inflation. But the tax policy, which goes into effect in 2018, includes exemptions allowing cities and counties to increase revenues without voter approval under certain conditions. For instance, increased revenues from new construction, annexation of new territory and the expiration of property tax abatements given for economic development incentives would not require a vote.

The city and county have combined services for fire and medical, health department, senior and planning services. Markus cited as another example the renovation of the city’s Fire Station No. 1, which is in the same building as Douglas County Senior Services. Instead of renovating just the fire station, the city worked out a cost-sharing plan with the county to renovate the entire building for $6.4 million.

“I actually think we could do even more,” Markus said. “You’ve got the culture to do those things and I think it would actually make things more efficient if we could get ourselves there. A lot of times these things are challenged because parochial interests kind of get in the way of these things, but, quite frankly, I do think that those are opportunities for us.”

Law enforcement immediately comes to mind as an opportunity to explore. Could the Lawrence Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office serve the city and county as a singular force at a lower cost? It certainly seems like a concept worth exploring.

Markus is on to something. But the key to any collaboration will depend on city and county leaders being willing to set egos and power struggles aside and instead focus on ways to make government more efficient. Markus is to be commended for expressing an openness to collaboration. Let’s hope county leaders embrace his invitation.