St. Mary Parish employees to get raises this month

FRANKLIN — Christmas is coming early for St. Mary Parish employees, with their first raise in over three years set tocome later this month.

But while the St. Mary Parish Council voted 7-4 on Wednesday to approve the merit increases, four council members — Dr. Kristi Prejeant, Mark Duhon, Les Rulf and James Bennett — voted no.

Their opposition wasn’t because they felt employees were undeserving of a hike in pay.

The four said they were opposed to how the raises are being funded.

Prejeant, although not vocal during the meeting, said the merit increases are buried in an ordinance with the parish’s new fiscal year budget, and she said that’s where her problem lies.

“The approved budget ordinance, as it is written, moves $4.7 million in American Rescue Plan funds into the council’s general fund, making it fair game for other expenditures during the new fiscal year, instead of being earmarked for infrastructure recovery, which I believe is the true intention behind the award.”

Earlier this year, the Biden administration awarded St. Mary Parish $9.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds. The administration said the money would be disbursed over a two -year period, but with pages of requirements on how the money can be spent.

In June, the parish received $4.79 million.

“So when the council voted Wednesday night, that vote allowed the $4.79 million to move into the general fund, with only $1.1 being earmarked for water and sewer infrastructure improvements,” Prejeant said.

Furthermore, she said when the council met this summer to discuss the budget, all they were presented with by the administration were details on how much money the parish would be receiving from the government.

“We never reviewed an itemized parish departmental list of shortfalls or gains,” she said.

“Of course, I am for our employees getting pay increases. They work hard. But I have a problem with how their raises are buried inside all of this money,” Prejeant said.

Parish Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange said Wednesday the employee raises will cost the parish an annual $275,000, and are legally allowed under the American Rescue Plan requirements.

But Duhon questioned LaGrange as to why the parish has not applied for a pay supplement through COVID-19 assistance plans the government has also offered.

“I think they all could have gotten $2,000 each. That would make anyone happy,” Duhon said.

But LaGrange disagreed.

“We have many positions available now due to COVID, and because of that, other employees are having to work harder. The raises will go along way with employee retention and morale.”

Ruff questioned the administration on how the raises will be paid for in 2023 and 2024.

“The administration is gambling. Is this a chance you should take?” he asked.

“So what do you do in 2023 and 2024 — raise taxes takes to keep things going if they money is not there? I know I don’t want to pay any more in taxes, frankly I don’t know who does. So then, are you left with laying folks off?”

“We’re down to operating this parish with a skeleton crew as it is now,” he said.

Bennett also questioned using the American Rescue Plan funds for the raises.

“Our parish employees work their-you-know-what’s off, and they deserve a raise. But the problem I have is that this money will only be covered for two years.

What if the money is not there then?” he asked.

Bennett asked Paul Governale, the parish accountant, how much surplus was left after the present fiscal year. Governale said it was $2,600.

“Wow, $2,600 and a quarter of a million in raises. No overtime? Will we have to cut services? I guess it is what it is,” Bennett said.

In other business Wednesday, the council agreed to paying a $2 increase per prisoner to all of the parish municipalities who house prisoners in their respective jails.

Hanagriff said the increase comes in the wake of a reasonable request from Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna in August, who began requesting the parish pay more to the city to house prisoners.

But nearly two weeks ago, Dragna presented Hanagriff with a 30 day cease and desist order at a parish council meeting, for the parish to remove female prisoners from the Morgan City jail if they cannot pay the city $22 per inmate.

On Wednesday, Hanagriff said that if Dragna is unsatisfied with the $16 per inmate and seeks court enforcement to remove the female prisoners from Morgan City, “the Town of Berwick and the City of Patterson have agreed to house the female prisoners.”

LaGrange however, pointed out that if housing the female prisoners becomes an issue for Berwick and Patterson, the parish may have to address building a facility for women adjacent to the facility for men in Centerville.