LODI - Lodi's mayor will reach across county lines next week to kick-start what neighboring officials hope will be a long-lasting dialogue about common transportation, crime and growth concerns.

Lodi Mayor JoAnne Mounce and the mayors of northern neighbors Elk Grove and Galt will hold a town hall-style meeting Tuesday to discuss issues the cities share.

"We're all along the (Highway) 99 corridor, and we have some things in common," said Linda Ford, a member of the Elk Grove Community Connection, a local activist group that is organizing next week's gathering.

The three cities, while connected by highway and separated by rural land, all take vastly different forms. Elk Grove is a bustling suburb that has grown to more than 100,000 people. Lodi is a slow-growth town trying to market its wine industry. Galt - the smallest town of the three - is in the early stages of urbanizing.

Mounce said the event is a chance for local leaders to think broader and to look beyond their respective boundaries for answers to some of the region's most pressing concerns.

She noted that, just as Lodi has been focused on preserving agricultural land between it and Stockton, policymakers in Elk Grove, Galt and Lodi could get a head start on a similar effort.

"If we can all get together and talk about these issues, maybe we can all find a solution," she said.

Galt Mayor Andrew Meredith said there may be opportunities for the three cities to collaborate on law enforcement efforts, and growth certainly will be an issue as all three cities pursue Wal-Mart Supercenter projects.

Tuesday's forum will be moderated by Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli.

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