City Employees Applaud Raises

City Employees Applaud Raises

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

Cheers erupted inside the City Hall meeting room Tuesday night, as Opelousas city officials took the first step in providing pay increases for municipal workers.

The Board of Aldermen accepted thunderous applause after approving a Budget Committee recommendation scheduled for implementation Sept. 1, that gives most city workers a dollar and hour raise.

Firefighters and police officers are scheduled to receive larger amounts.

Officers will get $3.50 more per hour. Firefighters will be given a $2.50 raise.

Alderman-at-large Marvin Richard said the pay boosts illustrate how the city feels about its workers whose previous starting pay was set just above minimum wage.

“We wanted to show how much we appreciate you’all. We need to find ways to keep our firefighters and police officers together,” Richard added.

Fire Chief Bryan Chavis said firefighters will now start at $13 an hour. The raises, Chavis said, are crucial in order to help attract applicants.

Chavis estimates the department currently needs 14 more firefighters.

Police officers, said Chief Graig LeBlanc, will begin earning $17.50 per hour after the pay increases become effective.

Officers working the night shifts will receive a $1 boost that provides them with an $18.50 per hour starting salary.

LeBlanc feels his department needs at least 10 more officers to become sufficiently staffed.

City Treasurer Lawanda St. Ann estimated the raises will impact the annual budget by at leasts $480,000.

St. Ann said the final amount provided for the raises will be more clearly defined after she is able to determine the total budgetary effects of workers’ retirement and benefits.

The city ends the 2023-24 fiscal year Aug. 31.

During a brief budget presentation, St. Ann said she anticipates the current budget will reflect about the same amounts of revenue and expenditures as last year

In June St. Ann pointed out that the city received $1.653 million in revenues. That amount increased in July by about $640,000, St. Ann said.