There really is no end to the efficiencies to be gained and better services to be provided when Vicksburg and Warren County officials put the interests of citizens first and the compulsion to protect their own budgets second.

For decades, city-county relations have been a hot and cold thing, usually governed by the personalities of city and county officials as opposed to the best interests of those picking up the tab.

In recent years, even though some solid, practical deals have been made, actual relations between the city and county have been sour. Tuesday, after ham sandwiches, handshakes were exchanged indicating an even brighter future.

Significantly, the informal session included not only the mayor and aldermen and members of the board of supervisors, but their key support staffers. These are people who, as has been shown in the past, can find accommodation and devise workable agreements when elected officials can’t.

Significant, too, is the number of elected officials and local government executives who have worked for the city and for the county at various times in their careers. In fact, that goes for two of the three city board members. Mayor Paul Winfield was attorney for the supervisors for three years and North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield served most of two terms as District 2 supervisor.

Already, Vicksburg and Warren County cooperate in myriad ways — ambulance and rescue services, voter registration, tax assessment and collection, emergency dispatch services, airport operations, tourism development and others. New fronts could be recreation, industrial recruitment, jail operations and more.

In population terms, the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county are about even. We have one public school district and many believe we should have one countywide government. Short of that step, however, much can be done to eliminate duplication and streamline operations. The honest, open, friendly talks we observed last week are a good first step.