Earlier this year, their leaders did what Dorsey expects will be happening more frequently in coming years. They decided to start the process to become one.

The Boundary Commission normally hears matters when one city wants to annex land in the unincorporated part of the county. It had never before heard a merger.

With its vote on Tuesday, the two municipalities now will put the issue before their voters in November. In a St. Louis region that has been increasingly reaching a consensus that its massive government division and duplication gets in the way of economic growth and often feeds racial division, a historic merger might set the tone for others to come down the pike.

Sadly, it almost didn’t happen for the most irresponsible of reasons.

The Boundary Commission is running out of members.

By law, the commission is made up of 11 members. Four appointments are made by the county executive, four are made by the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis, and three are made jointly between the county executive and the Municipal League.