As goes Warren, so goes Warren County.

In that vein, Vince DeJoy, city planner, makes a good point to use the upcoming strategic planning process to try to build bridges with surrounding townships to solve issues.

“I think this is a good time for bridges to be built,” he said, “for collaboration. That is the key to success in just about every endeavor, trying to work together to solve problems and plan for the future.”

We can understand Warren officials’ disappointment with the failure of EMS payment talks and the failure of a hotel in Breeze Point Park, but it’s awfully close-minded to think the city’s strategic plan won’t have any impact on the surrounding Greater Warren area. And dwelling on the failure of past discussions limits the city from laying the groundwork for future productive discussions on the “political landmines” that have been planted in discussions of hotels and EMS costs.

In our opinion, the city should use this strategic planning process to build excitement in the entire community — both inside and outside the city of Warren — for what the future could hold. Perhaps that shared excitement could lead to shared problem solving in the months and years ahead.