Partnership power was a major state-of-the-city theme of both Twin Cities mayors this year.
Leaders in the twin towns have done an exemplary job of creating coalitions to get things done that they could not do alone.
On Monday, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman focused on the importance of education in building great cities. He highlighted smart public, business, nonprofit and intergovernmental cooperative efforts that boost student achievement.
Worthy projects include Sprockets -- a program that involves more than 70 community groups that provide quality out-of-school opportunities for St. Paul kids.
Across the Mississippi, Mayor R.T. Rybak's state-of-the-city address last month focused on making strategic investments in people, the common ground and small business to promote economic growth.
He also talked up the value of partnerships that have and will continue to create jobs and business activity and undergird the city's tax base.
Predictably and rightly, both mayors took some state lawmakers to task for considering dramatic local government aid (LGA) cuts to their cities.
For example, under one Republican proposal, St. Paul, which was advised last fall that it could expect $62.5 million in LGA this year -- 27 percent of its general-fund budget -- instead would get $37.8 million.