Raise, Civil Service Revisited
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
A potential continued debate about Opelousas civil service employee rules and whether they restrict a proposed hefty raise for a municipal supervisor is scheduled for a 5:30 pm meeting Wednesday at City Hall.
Three members of the Board of Aldermen have already rejected significantly raising the annual salary for water distribution and wastewater collection supervisor Matthew Zachery to a potential six figures.
On Tuesday alderwoman Chasity Warren, one of three Board members who voted in favor of hiking the current $73,000 annual salary of Zachery to a requested $101,000, is requesting the Personnel And Service Committee meeting to revisit the salary issue and discuss municipal civil service regulations.
If the salary for Zachery is approved at some point, he would potentially earn more than the $75,000 base salary earned by Opelousas mayors since 2015.
Since the Tuesday vote on the salary increase for Zachery ended 3-3, it appears the matter could be legally reconsidered again, since a tie vote usually means a motion failed because it did not receive a majority.
Warren, Marvin Richard and John Guilbeaux voted to provide the increase for Zachery. Charles Cummings, Delita Broussard and Sherelle Roberts voted “no.”
Mayor Julius Alsandor said he could not break the deadlock since the issue was attached to an ordinance.
Alsandor and the Board first discussed the pay raise proposition for Zachery away from public view. After some discussion in that forum, the matter was allowed to proceed during an open session.
Roberts said on Tuesday that she was reluctant to approve the request because she needed to refer to the pay scale for municipal civil service employees.
Brossard said if approved, Zachery will be making $28,000 more than his current $73,000 annual salary along with a possible $51 per-hour boost in hourly overtime work.
Cummings said Zachery has already maxed out his salary according to the civil service pay scale.
“This is an issue that should have gone to civil service first,” said Cummings.
Richard and Guilbeaux, who also voted in favor of the pay raise, said that Zachery performs an important role in obtaining an operator’s license for water and sewer plants in addition to helping with crews that repair streets and water line breaks.
Before Zachery became a licensed supervisor, the city usually depended upon contract workers who were paid monthly to perform water plant inspections, said Richard.
Guilbeaux said the Board should vote to accept the pay request from Zachery and then let civil service make the final decision.
“(Zachery) is worth more than he is asking for,” said Guilbeaux.
