Tim Barfield, the former head of the Louisiana Workforce Commission and one-time executive counsel for Gov. Bobby Jindal, has been tapped as the new state secretary of revenue at an annual salary doubling that of his predecessor.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has appointed a new leader for the state Department of Revenue, announcing Wednesday that former Louisiana Workforce Commission head Tim Barfield will serve as the state's revenue secretary at an annual salary doubling that of former Revenue Secretary Cynthia Bridges.
According to The Times-Picayune, Barfield, who has also served as executive counsel for Jindal, will leave his current job as chief development officer of home health company Amedisys to take the reins at the state agency. Before joining Amedisys, Barfield worked in several capacities for the Shaw Group.
Barfield's appointment comes just two months after Bridges resigned amid a controversy over fuel tax credits. More notable than the scandal that prompted Bridges' resignation is that Bridges' annual salary was roughly half of what Barfield will be earning for the same job, a hefty $250,000 a year.
Jindal's spokesman Kyle Plotkin tells The Times-Pic that it's a justified increase due to Barfield's extensive private sector experience and level of talent he brings to Jindal's Cabinet:
Jindal said the administration would be working on an overhaul of the state's tax code.
"Our top priority next legislative session is to reform Louisiana's tax system so that we can make our tax code fairer, flatter, and lower for Louisiana families and businesses," Jindal said in a statement. "We're excited that Tim is returning to state government to lead our tax reform effort as we continue to move Louisiana forward and make this the best place in the country to raise a family and find a job."
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