Seven Fields Councilman Kevin Caridad has the right attitude about avoiding unnecessary spending of taxpayers' money. However, one aspect of Caridad's laudable intent is shortsighted.

If the councilman's view that federal representatives and senators should serve without pay ever were adopted — and it won't be — that likely would limit such government service to millionaires and billionaires. No one else likely would have the financial wherewithal to forgo pay for such service.

Caridad made his comment about federal lawmakers' pay as he sought to convince Seven Fields' mayor and council members to serve without compensation.

He said it would be prudent to exercise "fiscal restraint" to save the borough money.

"I think government should be minimal and people running for office, be it a local council, a congressman or a senator on the federal level should be working for free and not making a career out of it," he said.

Obviously, he feels the same about governors and state lawmakers — a situation that likewise never will occur but if it ever did would also greatly limit the number of people who could — and who would be willing to — serve.

Outside the pay issue, federal and state lawmakers have much more generous fringe benefits than they should be getting. And that, many people believe, leads to the job-for-life mentality so often seen.

Caridad is correct that elective service should not be a lifetime career. Term limits would reduce many of the problems bogging down state capitals and the federal legislature.

On the local level, as well as on other levels of government, it's proper that elected officials receive reasonable financial compensation as an enticement to get more people interested in serving. Even with compensation, albeit minimal compensation, some smaller communities have difficulty getting people to seek many of the elective offices that are up for grabs in municipal elections.

In Seven Fields, council members and the mayor are paid $1,200 a year. Borough Manager Tom Smith said a borough the size of Seven Fields could pay its elected officials up to $1,875 a year under state codes — neither figure being unreasonable.

It is commendable that the council has opted to keep the pay of its officials below what state law allows.

All communities should strive to use the best judgment in spending taxpayers' money. A few years ago Butler City Council lowered its salaries in an attempt to help the city overcome financial difficulties — although the city has much bigger money problems than officials' reduced salaries will be able to resolve.

Meanwhile, Seven Fields government isn't seen as wasteful.

For now, Caridad's idea seems dead, since his motion to eliminate pay wasn't seconded.

But it would be exemplary if officials on the state and federal levels would embrace Caridad's view that elected service should not be a road to self-enrichment — and then move to reduce or eliminate some of the excessive pension and health care benefits they receive.

Caridad's pay stance was at least in part shortsighted, but the foundation of his thinking was rock solid nonetheless.