Liberty County commissioners took another step to embrace a regional approach to issues and find solutions.

Commissioners agreed to a memorandum of understanding with Long and McIntosh counties to work together on areas of common interest. Riceboro already has an agreement for a well in McIntosh County and Hinesville has enacted a similar pact with Long County for a well there.

“Regionalism, the concept where local governments collaborate to identify issues of common interest and find solutions together, is becoming of critical importance to local governments, especially with funding,” county attorney Kelly Davis said. “State and federal governments really require that sort of regional approach before you are eligible for any meaningful assistance.”

County Administrator Joey Brown pointed out that state and federal officials have made it clear it is difficult for local governments to get funding for projects when they try to work alone.

“They have encouraged us to work with other counties and other governments to collaborate and get multi-tier funding,” he said.

The MOU, which is non-binding and also places no financial obligation upon any of its signers for its approval, also extends to the respective counties’ development authorities. The MOU, Davis said, is an agreement by each county to work together and to collaborate when they can.

Agreeing to the MOU is displaying “a willingness to work together to benefit the public in significant ways,” Davis added.

According to the MOU itself, its purpose is not to benefit any one county or tract of land but the entire region.

Regional partnerships are seen as crucial in enlisting state and federal government for projects, and the MOU states “if it doesn’t work for all, it won’t work for anyone.”