Entry-level MCPD employees get a raise; council promises to look for more

The Morgan City Council on Tuesday approved a $1-an-hour raise for entry level Police Department employees, hoping to reverse personnel losses attributed to low pay.

The council members agreed that more money is needed for a pay scale that, according to Police Chief James F. Blair, is $4 an hour less than the average for police de-partments from Franklin to Houma.

Members agreed to meet to look for solutions. No formal proposals beyond the additional $1 raise for entry-level employees emerged from Tuesday’s meeting. No one proposed a tax increase, but no one took a tax hike off the table either.

Also Tuesday, the board introduced an ordinance that would keep two city property taxes at their current level; moved toward a fall election for a sales tax renewal; made two moves needed to com-plete the purchase of the M.D. Shannon prop-erty from the St. Mary School Board; and approved a resolution that moves the city closer to having a new water plant.

Police pay

When Blair spoke to the council, his message was bleak:

—The Morgan City Police Department responded to more than 14,000 complaints in 2021, more than any other law enforcement agency in the parish.

—The starting pay for Morgan City Police Department employees is $12.09 per hour.

—Forty people have left the MCPD in the last three years.

Some of the departures were retirements, Blair said after the meeting. But most were because officers were leaving in search of better pay.

He told the council that he has heard many officers cite pay as the reason they’re leaving the department.

“I’m tired of hearing that,” he said.

All five council members spoke in support of the police.

“I’m getting the sense,” Councilman Ron Bias said, “that the Morgan City Police Department is just a [training] ground for other police depart-ments.”

Councilman Lou Tamporello talked about a recent death resulting from a fall from the La. 182 bridge.

“You shouldn’t have to go out there for $12.09 an hour,” Tamporello said.

Councilman Steve Domangue said that when he goes to work at Cannata’s at 4 a.m. each day, he’s glad to see a patrol car nearby.

Councilmen Mark Stephens and Tim Hymel each recommended Finance Committee meetings to look for a solution.

“We’re not going to try,” Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna said. “We’re going to get it done.”

For now, the council approved a budget amendment that pro-vides the $1-an-hour raise for the entry level employees. Receiving the raise will be 22 patrol officers, eight corrections officers, four communications officers and two records clerks.

The amendment authorizes about $67,000 in spending to cover the raise for the rest of the budget year.

Tax rates

An ordinance introduced Tuesday would set two property taxes for 2022: 16.07 mills for general government purposes and 2 mills for maintaining Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.

A public hearing and a passage vote are scheduled for the May 24 City Council meeting.

The tax levels are unchanged from 2021.

A mill is 1/10th cent of tax applied to each dollar of a property’s assessed valuation. By law, the assessed valuation of residential property is set at 10% of its market value.

Sales tax

The council moved toward a fall election to renew an existing 0.3% sales tax dedicated to roads, sidewalks and drainage.

The council set a public meeting at its May 24 meeting on the renewal.

The fall election date on the Louisiana secretary of state’s calendar is Nov. 8.

Water plant

The council authorized a cooperative endeavor agreement to facilitate state funding for a new water plant.

The bulk of the funding for the $5.2 million project will come from the Water Sector program, administered by the state government with federal COVID funding targeting water and sewer system improvements. The city’s portion of the funding is $1 million.

The new plant is de-signed to increase capacity using fewer chemicals, resulting in savings.

M.D. Shannon

The council approved two resolutions, including the hiring of a special counsel, for the transfer of the M.D. Shannon property from the School Board to the city government.

The city will pay the School Board $100,000 in monthly installments over three years. The city will have use of the historic school for sports programs and other activities.

The city’s Development District will also sell 16 residential lots on the property.

Also Tuesday:
—The council approved plans for the annual Bayou BBQ Bash for July 15-16 in downtown Morgan City.

—Council members agreed to consider an ordinance changing the rules for closing time at bars in the city.

Bar owner Ricky Roussel said the current rules prohibit the sale of alcohol after 2 a.m., the same time customers must leave the premises. He suggested that the city government follow the parish rules, which stop alcohol sales at 2 a.m. but give customers until 2:30 a.m. to leave.

—The council members heard Lea Hebert of Keep St. Mary Beautiful ask for support.

The organization once had both a director and government funding support, Hebert said, but the position and the funding have ended. The current budget is $500 a year, she said.

Council members praised recent cleanup campaigns, including one involving Morgan City High athletes and people from Ochsner St. Mary, Central Catholic and Wyandotte Elementary.

—The council approved plans for a tennis camp for young people 5-18 June 6-9 at Lawrence Park. The camp is a project of Bishop Jerry Hebert, a former University of Louisiana-Lafayette tennis player.

The project estimate for the new waterplant has been corrected in this story.