New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry had to break a tie between City Council members deadlocked over a $2,000 across-the-board raise for department heads Thursday.

Cost of living raises for all employees has been less contentious, with all agreeing, said Curry, that employees “have been underpaid for years.”

Department heads

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Curry, Mayor Pro Tem Freddie DeCourt, Councilman David Broussard and Councilwoman Therese Segura voted for the $2,000 pay raise because of the extra hours department heads put in and for which they do not get paid, they said.

Curry also said some regular employees were earning more than their department heads due to overtime, and that it is difficult to give merit-based or longevity-based raises because all department heads have similar responsibilities.

Councilmen Dan Doerle, Ernest Wilson and Raymond “Shoe-do” Lewis, who voted against an across-the-board $2,000 increase — in addition to the 5 percent cost of living increase for all employees and the 4 percent given to all employees in July — said they did so because of different department heads’ varying years of employment with the city, as well as varying numbers of people they supervise. They said those raises should be based on merit or longevity.

Base salaries as listed in the 2008 budget include the 4 percent raise city employees saw in July, said Curry.

Following are department head raises from 2008 to 2009, from 2005 to 2009, longevity and number of people supervised.

Those numbers, and increases from 2005 to 2008, are below.

Tax collection: $50,036 to $54,538; 9 percent; from 2005 at $43,000, increase of 27 percent, 35 years with city.

Finance: $49,841 to $54,333; 9 percent; 2.5 years with city.

These two department are grouped together. There are seven other posts. Three are open.

Administration: $49,055 to $53,507; 9.1 percent; from 2005 at $43,000, increase of 24 percent; four years with city. Department includes assistant for mayor, assistant for department head and two open jobs.

Planning and Zoning: $51,045 to $55,597; 8.9 percent; since 2005 at $44,744, increase of 24 percent, 15 years with city; department includes the addition of an assistant last month. This department also handles many other responsibilities, such as Main Street programs, some grant-writing and historical district coordination.

The Police Department: $40,548 to $44,575; 9.9 percent; also, $5,100 police supplemental pay from the state; total salary $49,675; 1.5 years with city. Only person in department.

Inspections and Permits: $49,841 to $54,333; 9 percent; 2.5 years with city; supervises four others in department.

Public works: $49,055 to $53,508; 9.1 percent; since 2005 at $43,000, increase of 24 percent; four years with city; supervises 44 others in department, including seven open jobs.

Wastewater: $77,531 to $83,408;7.6 percent; 2.5 years with city; supervises 37 others in the department, including three open posts.

Fire department: $63,105 to $68,260; 8.2 percent; since 2005 at $54,892, increase of 24 percent; 33 years with city; 57 others in department, including five open jobs.

Parks and Recreation: $49,055 to $53,508; 9.1 percent; since 2005 at $43,000, increase of 27 percent; four years with city; supervises 26 others in department, including three open jobs.

Section 8/Community Development: $50,043 to $54,544; 9 percent; since 2005 at $43,000, increase of 27 percent; 30 years with the city; supervises two others in department.

Compliance: $50,036 to $54,538; 9 percent; since 2005 at $43,000, increase of 27 percent; 26 years with city; supervises three others in department, including one open post.

All employees

The city commissioned a study of all city employees’ salaries in August 2007. A salary structure plan was approved by the city’s Municipal Civil Service department in August 2008. That plan is set to be adopted by the City Council next Tuesday, at its special meeting.

Michael Sands, author of the study, recommended the council adopt a merit-based pay adjustment plan after implementing a new labor market driven pay plan for employees not being compensated extra for obtaining certifications, which was also recommended.

“This recommendation is based on results of discussions with management of longevity versus variable merit pay ... and better serving the public interest by avoiding pay incentives for organizational rather than performance factors,” Sands said.

The cost for assuring all employees are at least at the minimum was 3 percent, without taking into account longevity, said Sands.

Sands said the estimated cost for the merit-based changes he recommended was 8 percent of payroll.

The city’s projected salary expenses for 2008, which are not final, are $9,111,268. Budgeted salaries for 2009 are $10,922,593. This is a difference of almost 20 percent.

According to projected figures, the city spent 10 percent less than it expected to on salaries in 2008.

Sands also recommended minimum, mid and maximum salaries for employees. Curry said there was “no way” the city could implement salaries based on longevity, which, she said, would give some employees $20,000 raises, and said every employee gets an additional 2 percent for every five years with the city, in addition to their cost of living increases.

She said bringing all employees up to the minimum was “the first phase.”

“This is just the beginning of the plan,” she said. “You can’t implement a full plan in one year. We have to do it step by step, be fiscally responsible as we do it.”

The employees also have a health insurance plan, said Curry, that includes “all the bells and whistles.”

In his study, Sands said about 40 percent of employees’ annual salaries are paid as benefits. This, he said, is standard.

Curry’s base salary will increase, under the new charter, from $60,000 to $80,000. It should change when the new charter takes effect Jan. 1. It is listed as increasing in the budget.

Curry said the raise will not take effect until January when the new charter does.

Judging by the budget and The Daily Iberian’s calculations, however, Curry’s salary does not appear to be pro-rated for Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 before the raise takes affect.

Curry said the mayor’s salary had not increased since 1996.

Including benefits such as a $15,000 car allowance, health benefits and retirement, total mayoral compensation is $121,504.

The only city employees who did not receive a raise this year are the City Council members and mayor pro tem, who vetoed a $250 a month raise in their car allowances.