Mayors working to improve lines of communication

More than a decade ago, former mayors Jay Knudtson of Cape Girardeau and Jackson's Paul Sander made a concentrated effort to break down parochial walls and work together.

Jackson and Cape Girardeau, whose borders meet at Interstate 55 where East Jackson Boulevard meets Kingshighway, are sibling towns. And like siblings, each town has its own personality. But in the end, each wants the other to succeed.

Knudtson and Sander began holding joint city council meetings, where representatives from both towns would come together to give updates and discuss projects or priorities of common interest.

For instance, it's helpful for the region if both cities could have similar building codes. That makes it easier for contractors and builders. The cities worked together on adopting similar codes. The cities built connections for water backups in case of emergencies. Both cities had an interest in the new interchange at East Main Street and LaSalle Avenue.

Over time, those relationships cooled. The cities were not necessarily at odds with one another, but the spirit of cooperation waned.

But that seems to be turning around again.

Dwain Hahs, Jackson's newly-elected mayor, has made it a priority to build relationships and communications with Cape Girardeau leaders.

"For me, even when I was running for mayor, one of my main platforms that I was running on was a better relationship with the area and regional groups," Hahs said. "Building trust and cooperating and working together -- there's a lot we can do as a region."

Since Hahs' election, city leadership from both towns have coordinated a number of events, as reported by Samantha Rinehart in a recent story in the Southeast Missourian.

City staff from Cape Girardeau and Jackson get together once a month to talk about what's happening in their areas.

The bottom line is that Cape Girardeau and Jackson both benefit from each other. A culture of support rather than opposition or indifference will yield benefits in a number of ways.

We're encouraged the mayors of both towns are meeting regularly and finding common ground -- beyond that at Center Junction.