Saratoga News Photograph by George Sakkestad Susan Ramos will greet the new year by taking over as city clerk of the city of Saratoga. New city clerk no stranger to change By Steve Enders Outgoing deputy city clerk Betsy Cory has had 17 years to learn the ins and outs of Saratoga--its city codes, its residents and its history. Cory's replacement, Susan Ramos, will have plenty of catching up to do. Ramos, who officially takes over as the city's first official city clerk after the New Year, has eight years of city government experience under her belt. She should have no problem acclimating herself to Saratoga, because she's dealt with change most of her adult life. A native of the Philippines, Ramos came to the United States 20 years ago and spent a month in Los Angeles before moving to Albuquerque and finally settling in Colorado Springs, Colo. She eventually returned to Southern California's desert region and worked in the community of Apple Valley for eight years. For four years, she served as the city clerk there. Ramos' position comes with the responsibilities inherent in a city clerk's position. When Betsy Cory announced her resignation last summer, the City Council was in the process of separating the offices of the city manager and the city clerk, giving the two their own titles. Previously, the city manager also officially served as city clerk, even though Cory performed many of the city clerk's duties. Ramos will enjoy her distinct title, as well as a slightly higher salary with the position. Ramos will start at $46,400 per year. The salary range for the new city clerk position has a high of $58,000 per year. The high end of the deputy city clerk position was $47,500. "More or less, from my experience, the role of the city clerk is to be the liaison of the city government to the public," Ramos said. Some of her duties here will be to administer elections, publish the agendas of the City Council and the minutes of its meetings, and maintain city records. Last week she sat in on her first City Council meeting, taking note of procedure and how Betsy Cory interacts with the group. There's not too much difference, she said, noting she's glad the city requires only that minutes of meetings be summarized, which will save her the arduous task of writing out every word. Noting that the city does not employ a public information officer, she says that her job includes serving as liaison with the public and with the press. "I may help distribute information, or other key employees might do it," she said. "It just depends on the subject matter." "The position opens a lot of doors," she said. "The position is such that you're in the middle of everything. I've got general information about elections, agendas, meetings and what actions were taken." City manager Larry Perlin called Ramos "very likable" and "outgoing" and said she is a good match for the position. "She demonstrated during the recruitment process that she had all the knowledge and skills we were looking for," Perlin said. "This job seemed to be a good fit and a good next step in her career path." Ramos said she's not too worried about learning the city's history in her first week. It will come with time, she said. So far, Ramos and her husband, Kit, are enjoying life in the Bay Area. She and her family only moved here two days before beginning her orientation to the position, which began two weeks ago. She said it's difficult keeping up with family, settling into her new home and starting the job right before the holidays. "It's been highly stressful," she said. "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but it looks like we'll be here for a while." Ramos is also engaged in another project outside of City Hall. She's almost finished with her M.B.A. from the University of LaVerne. She'd like to start taking classes again so she can finish sometime this summer. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 30, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.