When the Ramsey County Board members voted this week to take a wage freeze -- for themselves -- I immediately thought of Commissioner Janice Rettman, who's been voting against board pay hikes for years.

She finally won.

"I was delighted," said Rettman of the vote. "And I think it was wise. It was an important gesture with so many people out of work and taking pay cuts. I'm proud of us for saying no."

And it's not like they're sticking themselves with poverty wages with the freeze. Commissioners earn $82,400 a year. They were considering  a 3 percent hike -- the same increase that non-elected county employees received the year before -- which would have  increased their pay to $84,872. The county board chair, currently Jan Parker, earns a little more $84,975, which would have increased to $87,524 had they not voted for the freeze.

If they had accepted the raise, it would have cost the county $17,381, total, for 2010. So the freeze is more a gesture than a grand money-saving event.

Rettman joined the county board in 1997 after a stint on the St. Paul City Council and has been a stalwart in voting no each time the board votes itself a raise.

"I believe that the honor of being elected to public office is in the serving, not in the paycheck. And you know the paycheck going in; there's no need for these big raises," Rettman said.

She did warn me, though, to keep an eye on the board next year. She wonders if the other board members, not as enamored of the freeze as she was (although it was a 7-0 in favor) might try to raise their pay a little extra next year.

Voting a little extra for themselves -- trying to catch up -- well, that would be a different kind of gesture.