After years of flirting, the cities of Longview and Kelso are asking voters about the next step in their relationship.

The cities aren’t planning a wedding yet — and at this point they’re not even sure if they should continue seeing each other. What leaders do want is advice on whether to continue discussions about uniting the cities — an idea that has been talked about for decades.

The non-binding Nov. 3 ballot question asks whether the cities and their staffs should spend time studying the pros and cons of merging into one city. Merging would mean combining the physical boundaries of both cities as well as the tax bases, government and employees.

Some say a merger could save money, improve efficiency and eliminate duplication. Others say differing labor contracts and city charters would be a nightmare to consolidate and that both cities would lose their identities in the process.

The discussion about which city should take the other’s name — or if a new name would be created — hasn’t even been broached.

If a majority of voters approve the advisory question, a citizens’ committee would conduct a formal study to lay out details of a merger, including costs and anticipated savings. The report would be due in May. Then, in November 2010, voters could be asked to vote on the actual merger.

If a majority of voters turn down the Nov. 3 measure, it’s doubtful merger talks would continue.

City leaders said the ballot is a way to determine whether to continue informal merger explorations. Merging was mentioned during the countywide Government Summit on consolidating services and saving money, but officials said they can’t move forward without gauging the degree of public support.

The question was placed on the ballot though a resolution by the two city councils, and as yet no organized groups have formed on either side.

A statement for the resolution in the voters guide says that now more than ever cities need to examine ways to save money and improve services, and it notes that voters will have the final say. The statement, written by Kelso-Longview Chamber President Rick Winsman, former Daily News This Day editor Cathy Zimmerman and businessman Don Lemmons, says part of the six-month study should explore how to preserve each town’s identity while working together.

The statement against the measure says the disadvantages far outweigh any potential benefits of merging and thus the matter should be dropped.

“The challenges and costs are incomprehensible,” reads the statement written by Kelso resident Larry Peterson, former Kelso City Finance Director Veryl Anderson and Longview history buff Bill Kasch. “Which city hall would be abandoned? Would our individual histories be lost? What would the new city be named?”

“All good questions,” Winsman, Zimmerman and Lemmons reply in their voters guide rebuttal. “The question being asked here, however, is none of those raised. The question is only whether or not to study the pros and cons of merging the two cities … ”

The cities did merge public works, parks and fire commands and other services for several years in the past. They also talked about merging police departments. Those consolidation efforts failed, though, because projected cost savings weren’t realized or the two cities and their employees couldn’t agree how to combine different unions and wages. The voter’s guide statement against the merger idea notes those failures.

City leaders, though, pointed out during the council votes that previous measures went forward without citizen support or only consolidated some departments within the cities and not the entire governments.

So now it falls to the voters of the two cities to make the next move, deciding whether the idea of Longview and Kelso setting up house together is a good enough idea to study further or whether both cities would be better off on their own.

Related articles:

Leaders present ideas for merging services  (Sept. 24)

Longview council approves advisory vote on merger with Kelso  (Aug. 7)

Kelso backs advisory vote on merger  (July 8)

Officials planning non-binding vote to gauge support for Longview/Kelso merger  (July 7)

Leaders search for common ground at county consolidation summit  (May 27)

This article was first published Oct. 16.