Public servant. It has a certain ring to it, like said person might actually serve the public.

Not sue the public.

But these are strange times. Five elected public servants in Seminole County, Florida — Sheriff Don Eslinger, Elections Supervisor Michael Ertel, Clerk of Court Maryanne Morse, Property Appraiser David Johnson and Tax Collector Ray Valdes — decided they could serve the people best by, well, suing them.

Last election, county voters overwhelmingly passed several charter amendments to beef up ethics rules and subject these offices to an audit process. But instead of embracing the voter-approved reforms, these elected officials filed suit against the county. They argue that while county voters have the right to abolish these particular offices under the state constitution, local voters do not have a right to erode or alter their duties piecemeal.

You may ask how requiring ethical behavior or conducting an audit in any way erodes or alters the duties or powers of these offices. But hey, while their legal argument may seem awfully flimsy, a circuit court judge bought it and tossed the voter-approved measures out.

That decision will likely be appealed, but the legal issue is really beside the point. These five potentate-wannabes could have simply followed the new ethics rules voluntarily, knowing full well that’s what the voters want.

That would be the right thing to do…if one were a public servant.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.