Salary hike for Breaux Bridge officials

A proposed salary raise for five Breaux Bridge officials, if approved by the council, will be the first increase in pay for those positions in several years.
Mayor Ricky Calais told Teche News that an increase is overdue. He said the rate for Breaux Bridge officials has lagged the pay scale for surrounding municipalities and risks taking talented candidates out of the running. The past three mayors, he said, have all been retired professionals who would almost certainly have had much better options earlier in their careers.
Calais said that when a council member came to him to propose the pay increases he made the decision to turn the analysis over to two other members to study area rates and propose an appropriate amount. They concluded that, indeed, Breaux Bridge had fallen behind. To ensure that the salary was in line with the area, the following raises are being proposed:
Mayor Ricky Calais to receive a 13.64 percent increase to $62,500.
Chief of Police Rollie Cantu’s salary would rise 9.47 percent to $57,803.
City Clerk Pattie Dupuis would get a 6.69 percent raise to $52,267.
City Marshal Jerry Frederick would get a 2.94 percent raise to $19,600.
City Prosecutor Randall Racca would get a 13.99 percent increase to $44,400.
The mayor also receives an annual expense stipend of $11,400.