East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor Sharon Weston Broome has proposed the first across-the-board pay raise for city-parish employees since 2015, plus additional raises for police following two pay bumps last year.
The raises are meant to help the city-parish attract and retain a quality workforce, though the long-term costs will stretch out indefinitely, and predicting future revenue is tricky.
Broome wants a 5% increase for fire department and other employees and a 7% raise for police employees. The 7% raise—along with two 3% raises last year, a special “recruiting rate” for new officers, merit raises and state supplemental pay—will make salaries for Baton Rouge police officers comparable to other law enforcement agencies in the surrounding area, the administration says.
While the Metro Council has yet to hold a public discussion, the Democratic mayor’s proposal appears to have bipartisan support.
There is a growing sense that to attract competent public employees that government must pay wages comparable to the private sector. However, that’s counter to the long-held approach of the public sector paying less in salary but offering far better—and guaranteed—retirement and benefits packages.
Given that higher public-sector salaries lead to higher retirement payouts down the road, is paying wages like the private sector while still offering guaranteed—and generous—retirement plans financially sustainable over the long term?
Read the full story about the raises from the latest edition of Business Report. Send comments to editor@businessreport.com.
