Sometimes it seems as if the Henderson and Vance County governments operate in separate worlds. Then the two sides confront each other at an event such as Wednesday’s intergovernmental forum, and they’re like people attending a family reunion. They catch up on what they’ve been up to, then start saying the same things they said a year earlier. For example, the idea of uniting the two governments comes up every now and then (it certainly has been discussed many times on this site) but never gets anywhere. A certain former Chamber of Commerce official was whispering about the need for a merger years ago. One thing we think is essential, however: There couldn’t be two classes of citizens under a merged Henderson-Vance government. Everyone would need to have the same level of service — police and fire protection, water, sanitation, etc. — and everyone would have to pay the same property tax rate. Otherwise, we’re just playing bureaucratic games. And with that, the floor is yours.