“Do as I say, not as I do.”

Many politicians seem to have adopted this platitude as principle, paying lip service to fiscal prudence while simultaneously voting to increase their own salaries.

How refreshing, then, to see members of the Fort Dodge City Council decline an opportunity to enrich themselves at the cost of the taxpayer.

Council members on Monday rejected a proposal to boost their salary from the current $4,800 to $6,100 on Jan. 1, 2014. Councilmen Andy Fritz, Kim Alstott, Dean Hill, Robert ”Barney” Patterson, Mark Taylor and Don Wilson voted against the proposed increase. Councilman Dave Flattery was absent.

”I don’t do this job for the money,” Fritz said at Monday’s council meeting. ”I knew what the salary was when I ran for this office and that is not why I ran for it.”

As budget shortfalls continually loom over the city, it is imperative that nearly any ideas for cost-savings be entertained.

Granted, an extra $1,300 a year is not enough on which to retire wealthy. Nor will the saving of $9,100 provide anything more that a drop in the comparative ocean of city finances.

But with enough drops, the water does rise.