Eula Josephine Lagrange Larose
April 28, 2008
Adam "T-Dent" LaCoste
April 30, 2008
Jerome Zeringue, executive director of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, could receive a $1,500 a month salary supplement from Terrebonne Parish to lobby the federal government for levee, coastal protection and drainage money.
The Terrebonne Parish Council will vote on Zeringue’s pay boost at its next regular meeting on May 14.
Zeringue lobbies Washington regularly for the levee district, but most Terrebonne Parish Councilmembers and Parish President Michel Claudet said at the council’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting on April 21 that they want Zeringue to widen his efforts, even though Terrebonne Parish Coastal Restoration and Preservation Director Leslie Suazo already lobbies for federal dollars.
Zeringue has been advocating for Terrebonne Parish anyway for some time, said Councilman Pete Lambert.
“Most of the things done in this job description Jerome is already doing,” Lambert said.
Councilman Billy Hebert echoed Lambert, saying that Zeringue’s contract would allow him to do for Terrebonne Parish what he has been doing for the levee district.
Councilman Johnny Pizzolatto said, “Zeringue knows so many people in Washington, this $1,500 would not be that great a burden.”
Councilwoman Teri Cavalier opposed expanding Zeringue’s responsibilities because they may duplicate Suazo’s job, as well as the job of Al Levron, parish Capital Projects Administrator.
“Mr. Zeringue does an excellent job but it’s not our responsibility to supplement anyone’s pay,” she said.
According to Claudet, several parishes, including Lafourche, have more than one official lobbying Washington for coastal protection money. In addition to a coastal restoration lobbyist, Lafourche Parish has South Lafourche Levee District Director Wendell Curole and Port Commission Director Ted Falgout advocating for money, he said.
Curole’s pay is supplemented by Lafourche Parish, Claudet said.
“Fifteen hundred dollars a month for additional manpower is a small price to pay,” he said. “No one has a better voice for us than Zeringue. This gives us additional firepower for when projects are awarded.”
Claudet said Zeringue’s focus would be on supporting the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project, which would provide federal money for hurricane protection levees in Terrebonne Parish for the first time.
Levee Board President Tony Alford said Zeringue was offered a job in state government and the salary supplement will help keep him in Terrebonne Parish.
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