Iberia council overrides president’s veto

NEW IBERIA — The Iberia Parish Council voted 13-1 Wednesday to override Parish President Errol “Romo” Romero’s veto of a resolution that sets newly hired employees’ pay rates at a predetermined minimum.

Council members Maggie Daniels, Lloyd Brown, Thomas Landry, Troy Comeaux, Bernard Broussard, David Ditch, Ricky J. Gonsoulin, Glenn Romero, Jerome Fitch, Aquicline Arnold, Marty Trahan, Roger Duncan and David Wayne Romero voted to override the veto.

Council member Curtis Baudoin voted against it, without commenting on his vote.

The council needed 10 votes to override the veto.

Broussard said the resolution automatically sets any new non-department head employee’s salary to an entry-level pay scale with the option of the council to raise the rate if the council feels the candidate has the appropriate experience to justify higher pay.

This policy would apply to new parish government employees taking over a position from someone who has been fired or vacated the position for some other reason since Jan. 1, he said.

For example, the council also voted 12-2 Wednesday on a resolution to raise the pay of the new parish president executive secretary from the minimum level of $28,777 a year to $35,000 a year.

The previous secretary was making more than $41,000 a year, Broussard said.

Daniels, Brown, Baudoin, Landry, Comeaux, Broussard, Ditch, Gonsoulin, Glenn Romero, Trahan, Duncan and David Wayne Romero voted for the resolution. Fitch and Arnold voted against the resolution.

Broussard said that should there be many firings at one time, the resolution would require the parish president to ask the council to approve his new hires’ salary increases.

The parish president sent a letter to the council and legal adviser Dean Wattigny just before the meeting to explain why there was no need for the override vote.

He said in the letter that passages within the parish manual give him the right to hire, set pay level and take other measures concerning parish employee positions.

Wattigny said in the case of department heads, the parish president can set his own salaries, but in the case of non-department heads, the council has power under the charter to set the minimum salaries.

At the end of the meeting, the parish president read a statement asking the council to put politics aside and work with him. He said a house divided cannot stand.

NEW POSITION VOTED DOWN: The council voted unanimously against the creation of an administrative secretary position.

Parish Chief Administrative Officer Joel Dugas said the new position was necessary to handle the use of new Geographic Information System technology in the Parish President’s Office.

The new technology in particular allows the parish to locate property and see the tax rate, property value and other information connected to it, Dugas said, adding he wants the new hire to be able to look up this information and make it available to the public.

Daniels said the council also is adopting new software into its office and put hiring of an extra employee on hold until they can determine if that employee is needed. She said parish government should do the same.

INSURANCE RENEWAL: The council also discussed but did not take action on liability and property insurance policy renewals. Bids will be opened, reviewed and voted at the Feb. 22 meeting.

The insurance policies renewal deadline is March 1.