Last month, the Keller city manager announced that he was firing himself in a budget-cutting move, and the Tarrant County community of 40,000 would save some $176,000 in salary.

Or not, as the case may be. Dave Leiber at the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth did a little reporting, proving once again why a good newspaper is the taxpayer’s best friend. He discovered that by the time the bosses in Keller got done handing out raises and hiring a new assistant city manager, they had spent more than two-thirds of the savings.

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Meanwhile, Lieber notes, Keller’s city employees got just a 1 percent raise last year, their first in three years, and a one-time $1,500 stipend. Also, more than 20 staff positions have been eliminated in the last two years.

Sound familiar? I guess we aren’t the only ones with elected officials who preach fiscal discipline but practice something else entirely.