Two public forums scheduled for next month will give everyone involved a chance to discuss the long talked about possibilities of merging together city and county government.

The two forums, led by personnel from Mississippi State University’s John C. Stennis Institute of Government, aims to present facts in as unbiased a manner as is possible.

From our perspective, consolidation has and always will make sense. A smaller, simpler form of government should provide taxpayers a break by paying for less duplication of services.

Working together and being open-minded is the key to even understanding how things could work.

Natchez and Adams County have technically already consolidated some things — long ago the county took on the role of collecting city taxes, city and county jails have merged.

Much more could be done, particularly in reducing government overhead in salaries.

But it will take not just two forums, but for citizens to actively get involved and insist the options are considered thoroughly, not merely discounted because they will require work to accomplish.

We applaud the city for starting the discussion, but it’s up to citizens to show up and make the discussion a meaningful one.