The White Salmon and Bingen City Councils heard a presentation on, and discussed some of the pros and cons of, combining the two municipalities into one at a joint meeting on Wednesday evening.  Bingen City Administrator Jan Brending and White Salmon City Clerk Leana Johnson gave a presentation on various aspects of such a move, including efficiencies created on top of areas where the cities already work together, options for a merger, and concerns including ensuring representation from both communities and the emotion and history of the two cities.  Council discussions ranged from the practicalities of such a move, including tax rates that would probably drop for Bingen residents and go up for those in White Salmon, representation on a new Council, in particular for the smaller Bingen community, and why this is being discussed now even though there is no urgent fiscal problem currently facing either City.  The issue now goes to both Councils for individual discussions on whether they are interested, with many of those involved in the meeting suggesting some kind of survey of residents be done on the topic, probably through utility bills.  Bingen Mayor Betty Barnes urged councilors to talk to their neighbors about the subject.  Any combination proposal would have to go to voters for approval.