We've made it to 2010 relatively unscathed, surviving an economic disaster for long enough to have another shot at turning things around in the new year. But, despite the fact that we have to get used to putting a new date on our checks, there are still major challenges that have to be faced — and they have to be faced together.

The problems emanating from Albany show no signs of slowing. No one has yet figured out how to squeeze more money out of the state budget, and, as such, counties and towns are going to be taking on a lot more responsibility than they're typically accustomed to. There's going to have to be a lot of creative thinking and cooperation in order to provide services to the people who need them. And, even though it's still early, so far there are signs that cooperation may not be at the top of the list in several towns around the area.

In Wawarsing, the first official meeting of the new administration showed that the new town supervisor may need to work hard to gain the support of all his council members. The town council also showed its lack of cooperation with the town planning board, as several of their recommendations were ignored in favor of the town board's own agenda, including the dismissal of the longtime planning board chair from his leadership post.

Similar happenings in the Town of Crawford, where the three-term planning board chairman was booted entirely from the board by the town council, point to a shaky relationship between two entities that must work closely for successful growth and development.

Mamakating, too, has seen a change in administration. The new supervisor has indicated that he intends to do everything he can to ensure that the hard work done under the previous administration will continue. And there can be no doubt that tough decisions will have to be made. But recent fights among board members regarding health insurance costs show that there isn't a unified vision of cooperation in the municipality.

But not all is as bleak as these signs might have you believe: Rochester, a town that balanced its budget and even returned a small amount back to the taxpayers, will have to remain vigilant in regard to its fiscal situation. One major crisis could derail this fiscal balance and make the new year a hard one for Rochester's residents. But despite the fact that the board is comprised of members from both major parties, this is one municipality that seems to be functioning with a sense of accord — an excellent example other communities could follow.

Even more encouraging, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein has proposed a new policy of cooperative snowplowing, which will pay for towns to plow town and county roads alike. If implemented fairly — which would necessitate the county living up to its end of the bargain and properly compensating towns for taking on the county's plowing responsibilities — the potential cost savings, and safety improvements, the county could reap are tremendous.

This spirit of intergovernmental cooperation is refreshing to see. It would behoove the leadership of the various municipalities in the tri-county area to make this kind of cooperation a priority. Something as simple as a truck keeping lowered — rather than raising — its plow blade when it crosses some arbitrary boundary is an excellent metaphor for a renewed sense of collective endeavor. Rather than fight one another over whose turf belongs to whom, all of us — residents, elected officials, etc. — need to ask what we can do to help keep the road clear of hazards, fiscal or otherwise.