Finance committee approves $6,500 back pay for parish president after charter‑based salary review

The Iberia Parish finance committee approved a $6,500 amendment to the 2025 general fund on Oct. 22 to provide back pay for the parish president covering prior effective dates tied to salary adjustments.

Staff told the committee they retained an actuary and a compensation analyst to verify the proper calculation of any back pay triggered by staggered salary changes among elected officials. According to staff, the $6,500 figure represents amounts owed from the dates other benchmark offices increased pay until the parish president’s raise took effect. Committee members pressed staff to confirm whether those benchmark calculations relied on "base salary" alone or on "salary plus related benefits." Several members asked for the April packet and supporting worksheets to confirm the historical breakdown; staff agreed to circulate the April materials and the underlying analysis.

The finance director described the procurement of professional services for the independent review as a standard use of the professional‑services budget. "This is a professional service," the finance director said when explaining the actuary and compensation work. Members debated whether bringing the actuary in person would be needed and expressed concerns about recurring back‑pay situations due to the charter’s trigger language.

After discussion and an amendment motion recorded in committee, members voted to approve the budget amendment to provide the stated back pay. The committee directed staff to distribute the April packet and to provide clearer documentation of the pay‑calculation methodology so the council can avoid similar surprises going forward.

The item will proceed according to standard finance‑committee reporting and be reflected in the parish’s final budget documents.