Something good must be in Ferriday’s water.

We never thought we’d say that since a long stream of water woes has plagued the town in recent years.

But some common sense additive in the water is about the only logical answer for an amazing thing the Ferriday Town Council did recently — they voted to NOT give themselves a raise.

As unusual as it may seem given the recent Concordia Parish Police Jury’s decision that they deserved a more than 33-percent increase, the Ferriday council voted not to increase their own salaries.

Strike a blow for common sense in local government.

Ironically, across the parish, Concordia School Board members voted on raises, too.

And five of the nine members wanted to take the money and run. Fortunately, the board’s own rules require two-thirds of the group support the raises.

Strike a blow for luck.

The school board has voted unsuccessfully three times in recent months to increase their pay. Let’s let it drop, folks.

The global economy has slowed and almost all businesses are looking for ways to become more efficient, leaner and more capable of surviving the economic storm — even if the winds pick up.

We need that same spirit to be seen in local government. Or maybe we just need to start bottling some Ferriday water and passing it out at the public meetings.