The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury voted June 6ย to do away with salary schedules that include automatic step raises for longevity and gives supervisors and a committee the authority to hand out employee raises.
The jury called the new salary schedules โTier Level Pay Bands,โ but the document before jurors does not spell out specific details for when raises should be given.
Parish Manager Joseph โJodyโ Moreau said employees are entitled to a degree of confidentiality against public scrutiny of their salaries, claiming incorrectly that a newspaper report of a May 2 meeting gave the salary of jury Secretary Yamesha Harris.
The newspaper article, quoting a comment by jury President Louis Kent, only noted that Harris would receive a $5 per hour raise for taking on additional responsibilities as assistant parish manager.
Her total salary was not mentioned in the brief May 2 discussion.
Moreau said anyone wanting to know an employeeโs salary โcan file a public records request.โ
The pay ranges adopted Monday include: parish manager, $64,376 to $100,318.40; secretary-assistant manager, $43,680 to $68,057.60; parish treasurer, $42,244.80 to $65,873.60; building official, $62,296 to $97,032; public works director, $60,278.40 to $93,932.80.
The pay range for the lowest-paid employee, a receptionist, ranges from $21,840 to $34,008.
Moreau said employees will be recommended for raises by their supervisors, with the approval of the Finance Committee. Some employees might not receive raises, he said.
The arrangement will not affect cost-of-living raises that the jury may give to all employees, Moreau said.
On another matter, the jury set public hearings on ordinances to establish 11 voting precinct locations throughout the parish and to merge four precincts with other precincts, giving the parish a total of 22 under the new districting plans for the Police Jury and School Board.
Parish Registrar of Voters Bobbie G. Ross said each voter will receive a new registration card with precinct and district information later this summer, possibly in July.
The jury also agreed to send the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a letter of support for a companyโs plan to build a road from its gravel pit to La. 10, after a representative of the juryโs engineering firm said Southern Aggregates, or Arcosa, meets or exceeds the requirements of jury ordinances.