By LEONARD GRAY

LAPLACE – Former state representative Joseph Accardo Jr.’s contract as executive director for the Port of South Louisiana was extended this week for two years with a 10 percent pay raise.

When Accardo was first selected for the job in February 2000, he began with a salary of $110,000 per year, as he moved up from being Director of Governmental Affairs for the Port.

The motion was made by St. James port commissioner Gregory Gravois and seconded by St. John commissioner E.J. Martin to retain Accardo. The vote of approval was 6-1, with St. Charles commissioner Jay Roberts refusing to vote unless he first saw a copy of the contract.

Likewise, former district judge Joel Chaisson and St. James Parish School Board member Lloyd LeBlanc were retained by unanimous vote as general counsels for the port.

Accardo succeeded former assistant director Don Hays, who had been filling in since the departure of Gary LaGrange in the summer of 1999. LaGrange is now director of the Port of New Orleans.

A native of Hester in St. James Parish, Accardo earned a law degree in 1965 and practiced law until March 1997 as a partner in Accardo, Edrington and Golden.

He was also a state representative for the area, from 1972 through 1996, when he chose not to run for re-election and was succeeded by Bobby Faucheux, the current office-holder.

Accardo became General Counsel and Director of Governmental Affairs in 1997, after having served as legal counsel for the Port since 1990.

The Port of South Louisiana serves the maritime industry of St. James, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes and owns dock facilities all along its jurisdiction, leasing them to major industries.

The port also owns and operates the Globalplex facility on the site of the former Godchaux Sugar Refinery in Reserve.

In other activity, Accardo delivered a cargo tonnage report, covering December 2000 to November 2001, comparing it to the previous year.

Overall handling of exports decreased, with 65.8 million tons, compared to 71 million tons. All four top exports – including maize, soybean, animal feed and wheat – showed decreases in shipments.

Overall handling of imports increased by 10 percent, from 52.5 million to 58 million tons. Two of the top four imported commodities increased, including crude oil (9 percent) and chemicals/fertilizers (66 percent).

Domestic shipments increased by 28 percent during the past year, with petrochemicals up by 12 percent, chemicals/fertilizers up by 24 percent, crude oil by 102 percent and coal by 458 percent.

There was a 4 percent increase in total tonnage in the past year, a difference of more than 10 million tons.