Pay hike OK’d for Lafourche government employees

The Lafourche Parish Council approved an across-the-board 3.8 percent pay raise for non-appointed and non-elected employees last week.

According to Parish President Charlotte Randolph, the civil service sector mandates that employee pay scales meet the cost of living index. In 2007, that figure was 3.8 percent, she said.

The pay adjustment will be applied to the parish’s 2008 Operations and Maintenance Budget, Randolph said.

“The administration is coming to the council for the pay raise because the living adjustment came in after the 2008 budget was completed and voted on by council,” she said.

However, Randolph did include a pay bump – slightly over 3.8 percent, in fact – while preparing the 2008 budget. “We wanted to make sure that our parish employees were covered,” she said. “The civil service department mandates that a cost of living increase be given every year.”

Last Tuesday night’s approved cost-of-living adjustment applies mainly to non-department heads. Pay hikes for department heads were considered separately.

Grants & Economic Development Director Gretchen Caillouet was given an $8,000 salary increase. The council approved the raise in a 5-3 vote.

Councilmen Lindel Toups, Daniel Lorraine and Philip Gouaux voted against the pay hike, and Councilman Matt Matherne was absent from voting.

This is the third salary increase awarded to the grants department head in a three-year period. When the job was created, the starting salary was $30,000.

When Caillouet was tapped as director four years ago, the salaryfor the position was increased by $10,000.

Randolph said Caillouet deserves a bump in pay because she was instrumental in getting federal hazard mitigation monies for the parish.

“Gretchen has been instrumental in seeking outside funds, and anyone that has ever dealt with writing grants knows that this isn’t an easy process,” Randolph said. “With her, the parish has an exemplary four-year track record that is worth rewarding.”

The parish council also approved a pay increase for the Human Resource Department director.

The job will now pay $42,000 annually.

The measure passed 8-1, with Gouaux voting against it.

The Human Resource director’s slot is one of three vacant directorships within Randolph’s administration.

The parish president could seek approval of appointments to run that department and Public Works at the April 22 meeting.

To date, Randolph said she has not received any applications for the Finance Department director’s position.