Photograph: Opelousas Alderman Charles Cummings (Photograph by Freddie Herpin)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Opelousas Aldermen Budget Committee members agreed Tuesday night that it’s time to raise the salaries for city employees, while further discussing the possibility of asking municipal homeowners to approve a property millage increase.
Committee chairman Charles Cummings emphasized that the items discussed at the committee meeting would not become effective until they are examined for continued consideration by the city administration.
Cummings said that it’s apparent the city needs to do something in order to improve the salaries of all municipal workers.
“Right now we (the city) are in a situation where we can’t keep our key employees. You can’t buy a bag of chips today for five dollars. The inflation rate has become outrageous and we are looking at ways to raise salaries that are going to benefit everyone,” Cummings said.
At this point committee members concluded that there are two options for potentially funding salary increases affecting 128 city employees, whose starting salaries are considerably less than $10 hourly.
One option discussed by committee members includes adding 50 cents per hour to employees salaries. That potential increase Cummings estimated, would cost the city approximately $70,000 annually.
The 50-cent hourly increase could elevate workers’ salaries for some workers to as much as $9.50 per hour, said Cummings.
Another plan committee members discussed was elevating the beginning pay for each employee to $10 per hour, something the Committee thinks would cost about $65,000 each year.
The budgetary year for the city begins Sept. 1.
Due to a previously passed citywide ordinance, the city is also obligated to provide 2.5 percent annual cost of living increases for all employees. Normally those increases begin Sept. 1.
Property Millage Increases
The Committee also discussed the possibility of increasing citywide municipal property taxes, but also took no action on the issue.
Cummings said the annual 7.1 mills the city now collects for property millages is considerably lower than what is charged in some nearby communities.
Grand Coteau, Cummings said, charges residents 19 mills, while the Ville Platte millage is nearly 30 mills annually.
“I think our millage rate is entirely too low right now, when you look at what is being collected in other places. That’s why we’re hurting; the millage (in Opelousas) is too low. This (millage proposition) needs to pass in order for the city to move forward,” Cummings added.
What The Employees Said
Street Department employee Xavier Frank said it’s been difficult to keep many co-workers, since many of them are making less than nine dollars an hour.
City museum curator Patrice Melnick said many of her co-workers are also employed elsewhere in order to compensate for their low salaries.
Police Chief Graig LeBlanc added that after his new officers have received a two dollar per-hour increase generated from departmental funding, he’s noticed a difference.
“I know our officers out there are doing the job are feeling more appreciated. I think it’s time our other people out there are also shown that appreciation,” said LeBlanc.
