Article Image Alt Text

Police Juror Dane Hebert studies a document about finances.

Police jury not laying off anyone

The good news for police jury employees is that no one is getting laid off or getting their pay cut anytime soon. The bad news is that your health insurance premiums will be going up in January.
The police jury met for two hours on Wednesday to try to find ways to cut of the $1.3 million shortfall projected in 2017.
When the meeting was over, the police jury managed to cut $1.2 million without having to layoff anyone.
There was talk about cutting salaries by 10 or 13 percent or having employees take furloughs one day per pay period.
Instead, the police jurors located places where they could cut the budget.
As a way to save just under $50,000 a year, the police jury voted unanimously to cut their own salary by 20 percent. A police juror makes $1,600 a month. Starting in 2017, a juror will make $1,280 a month.
Tim Baudoin, the police jury’s financial officer, presented the jurors with ideas on places they could cut, as well as, ways they can increase revenue.
The jurors voted not to paint the courthouse in 2017, which will save the police jury $300,000.
The jurors voted to raise the percentage of what the police jury employees, who have health insurance, will pay.
In the past, the police jury would pay 90 percent of the health insurance claim and the employee would pay the other 10 percent.
The police jury voted to raise what the employee pays to 20 percent and the police jury would pay 80 percent. By doing that, the police jury will save $200,000 a year.
Depending on what type of health insurance coverage an employee has will depend on how much their premiums will rise.
Another cut was $120,000 from the Vermilion Parish jail. The money was going to be used to repair the jail.
One area the jurors could not decide to cut or not cut is the economic development department. The jurors debated about using $80,000 out of the general fund to budget the department. The jurors elected to talk more about it next committee meeting this month.
The police jurors also said that they will revisit the budget in June of 2017 to see where they stand financially.

PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT

Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news from Vermilion Parish. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!

Follow Us

Site Links

Subscriber Links