Clerk Gets Pay Raise, Ordinances Passed
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Parish Council Clerk Sherell Jordan received a hefty pay raise Wednesday night, while council members in separate votes, approved a pair of ordinances aimed at slowing traffic and further regulating junk disposed outside municipalities.
The ordinances which included regulating traffic speeds inside a school zone area on the Compress Road and refining items classified as junk in an already existing ordinance, were passed unanimously following public hearings on each matter.
Approving the pay raise for Jordan featured more lively debate.
Salary Increase
Jordan ultimately received a seven dollar per hour raise following an 8-4 Council decision Wednesday night.
The request for the salary increase was originally discussed during a Finance Committee earlier this month.
Jordan will now receive $30 per-hour which elevates her annual salary to about $60,000 annually, according to Finance Committee chairman Harold Taylor.
Council member Wayne Ardoin suggested a compromise measure that would give Jordan five dollars per-hour more and provide assistant clerk Karen Barlow with a two dollar-per–hour increase, but that motion was voted down 8-4.
Barlow, who earns $15.75 an hour, received no pay raise from the Council.
Council member Timothy LeJeune, who sponsored the raise for Jordan, would not agree to raising compensation for Barlow, despite the request from Ardoin.
Ardoin said Barlow apparently wants to remain a part time clerk. Ardoin said Barlow trained Jordan to perform the duties of a full time clerk.
“Everytime we have given one of our clerk’s a raise, the other (clerk) received one. I don’t think it’s fair to pass Karen up this time,” Ardoin said.
Parish president Jessie Bellard supported the pay raise for Jordan.
“It’s not about a pay raise. It’s about retaining people.If this raise is not given (to Jordan) then she will move on. She is our longest standing clerk. I’m not against anyone else. Sherell is responsible for everything,” Bellard said.
Approving the pay raise for Jordan were Vivian Olivier, Dexter Brown, Jimmie Edwards, Ernie Blanchard, Timothy LeJeune, Faltery Jolivette, Mildred Thierry and Ken Marks.
Ardoin, Taylor, Nancy Carriere and Alvin Stelly voted “no.”
Compress Road Speed Limit
The previous speed limit in front of a Compress Road church was 30 miles-per-hour, according to Thierry, who sponsored the ordinance.
Thierry said during previous meetings, that administrators associated with the church had requested the 20 mile-per-hour limit, due to concerns about children exiting buses there after school.
Junk Ordinance
Ardoin, who sponsored amending the ordinance of include discarded tires and vehicles, said residents in a District 9 area south of Opelousas, had complained about tires that were piled up in the backyard of a house.
The tires have now been removed, but Ardoin said he wanted to include tires in the ordinance so any similar issues could be enforced by the Sheriff’s Department.
