Pay hikes for public-safety employees and a disagreement over the Lafayette-Vermilion parish line top Tuesday's council action. The Lafayette City-Parish Council on Tuesday will consider three introductory ordinances granting pay raises to public-safety employees. Current employees of the City Marshal's Office, Lafayette Police and Lafayette Fire departments are in line for a 3.5 percent pay hike. Additionally, new hires by the LPD and LFD would be given 1.8 and 1.5 percent raises respectively over current salaries. If the ordinances pass on Tuesday they will face final votes on Nov. 5.
The council will also vote on a ordinance up for final adoption that would rescind a 2003 ordinance agreeing to the boundary line between Lafayette and Vermilion parishes. The ordinance is co-authored by eight of the nine council members and sailed through intro two weeks ago. Spearheaded by District 7 Republican Don Bertrand, the ordinance would make official Bertrand's belief that the current parish line is inaccurate in two areas - one on the west side of the Vermilion River and the other on the east side. The council has posted maps outside the council auditorium showing where Bertrand et al believe the real boundary line should be set, which, Bertrand says, is based on the 1844 legislative act that split Lafayette Parish and created Vermilion.
For more on the Vermilion-Lafayette border issue, see Tuesday's issue of ABiz.