A competitive and ever-changing workforce necessitates wise choices by city and county governments looking to attract the best and the brightest individuals to their departments, and to keep the most well-trained, qualified and hard-working among its existing employee pool. The City of Clinton has recognized that fact and is proposing a much deserved salary bump for police officers and firefighters in the 2017-18 budget, a move we believe is necessary in the ongoing effort to recruit and retain the most qualified public safety teams to take care of our community.