With Washington’s new city manager Josh Kay reporting to work Aug. 1 and Randell K. Woodruff, the new Beaufort County manager, starting his new job Sept. 5, perhaps the two can meet with each other as soon as possible and develop a strategy that will enable the two local governments to better work together to serve their residents.

Not that there are a lot of  “issues” causing friction among the two, but there are a few differences of opinion on some matters, let’s say. With two new managers, coming in without any baggage between them concerning the city and the county, there is an opportunity for improving the relationship between the city and the county.

To be sure, there was plenty of cooperation between former City Manager James C. Smith and former County Manager Paul Spruill. And there’s going to be cooperation between Kay and Woodruff, more than likely. The challenge for Kay and Woodruff, the administrators, is to get the City Council and the Board of Commissioners, the politicians, to work better together on shared interests and concerns.

Of course, the City Council and the Board of Commissioners establish the policies for their respective local governments, but it’s the duty of the managers to make sure those policies are carried out.

Although the City Council and Board of Commissioners have the ultimate say in how, or if, the two local governments work together, Kay and Woodruff will have key roles to play in determining just how well, or not, the two local governments work together and get along. Kay and Woodruff can smooth the way for improving trust and cooperation between the city and county.

We believe they have the tools to do that job.

We would like to see the politicians let them do that job so they, the politicians, and the city and county can reap the benefits of an improved relationship between the two local governments.

A new broom sweeps clean, the saying goes. Well, with two new brooms coming soon, some real cleaning should occur.