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provides educational opportunities and certifications. You can go to these classes and achieve a Certified Municipal Clerk designation or a Master Clerk designation. I think when these kinds of things are done, that would probably warrant additional pay. I never got the Masters, but I got the Certified Municipal Clerk for taking the classes, and I would encourage any City Clerk in office to take advantage of the networking and the educational opportunities offered by the league. Having said all of that, I am the one who hired the current City Clerk into the City Clerk's Office, promoted her to head the Ordinance Violations Bureau, promoted her to Chief Deputy, replacing someone who had been with me for almost two (2) dozen years, as recognition of her ability to get the job done. I was never disappointed in any of those choices. However, given the financial climate that the City is in, the fact that negotiations went on for nine (9) weeks with the Teamsters, just got out of negotiations with the F.O.P., we have a tentative agreement we can't talk about, but it isn't anywhere near twenty -three percent (23 %) all in one (1) fell swoop. I am all for taking a look at a reorienting of the baseline for a City Clerk's position, but I think that ought to be phased in, and I intend to make a motion tonight for a $4,000 increase with the intention that there would be adjustments down the line each year. Unless it is phased in, I think twenty -three percent (23 %) is almost egregious and I cannot support it. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated that in 2012 and 2013 when we had to talk about the increasing of the attorneys and the Public Works, I was not for that and whether they are black or white, Democrat or Republican, that isn't an issue for me and I don't even want that out there. I believe in phasing in. You cannot talk about all of these fees and at the same time have jumps in salary. Public perception is that we have all of these fees we're voting on, then we have high rates. Five percent (5 %) is good, I did not like when they came in and he jumped all the key salaries up. The fact that we work over all over the place, that's what we should do. Some Councilmembers may serve on a whole bunch of committees, and others may not. That's their call. With all due respect, when I pushed for committees, I didn't receive pushback from the Clerk's Office in the past years, and they say I am overworking their department this year. He would come to all of the committee meetings with all of the issues. Every time I called or did any of this, he worked overtime. This year I didn't receive that. I can argue the fact that I got more support from last year's than this year's, so I have to personally look at those things. Councilmember Randy Kelly concurred with Committeemember Gavin Ferlic and Councilmember Regina Williams- Preston. He counted sixteen (16) requests for raises that are in the twenty percent range or more, so I want to keep it in perspective with regard to the fact that this one (1) request is getting a lot of press. So I want to point that out because it is not necessarily out of line with what is being asked around the City. I want to concur with Mr. Bognar's comments. The reality is that if we are going to attract and retain quality talent, we have to pay for it. I think this is the time to do it because we should do these things so that we can attract and retain the kind of talent that our City deserves, and learn to live within those means before.the fiscal cliff, so I'll be supporting. 12