By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A resolution eliminating automatic salary increases for the St. John Parish president passed unanimously during a St. John Council meeting Tuesday.

The measure, proposed by District 7 Councilwoman Cheryl Millet, states any pay raise for the parish’s chief executive would require a two-thirds majority vote from the council before it could be approved.

The council adopted the automatic pay increase in 2008, when former Parish President Bill Hubbard offered a resolution that upped his yearly salary from $81,267 to $123,318, a salary equal to that of the St. John Sheriff. Hubbard claimed at the time the salary was too low for the chief executive of a parish with a $59 million operating budget.

Hubbard resigned from office before receiving the first automatic raise, which went to acting Parish President Pat McTopy. The current salary stands at $136,382.03.

Hubbard’s original resolution, which was hotly debated by council members as well as the public, eventually garnered the support of all council members except Millet and District 3 Councilman Charles Julien.

Millet’s resolution keeps the salary tied to the sheriff, but any raise will now require a two-thirds majority from the council prior to approval. Council Attorney Jeff Perilloux told the council the Parish Charter says the president’s salary cannot be increased any more than once every two years.

Prior to the vote, a few council members questioned whether a resolution was sufficient enough to alter Hubbard’s previous measure and asked if an ordinance was necessary. Perilloux said all previous raises had been approved through a resolution rather than by an ordinance.

After the meeting Millet said she was not surprised by the unanimous vote.

“I don’t put anything out there unless I know it will pass,” she said.

In other action from Tuesday’s meeting, the council heard bid prices for improvements to the Reserve boat launch. Four construction firms submitted bids for the project, which administrators say will revitalize the popular recreational facility by adding expanded parking, lighting and a new fishing pier. St. John acting Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe said the parish will use grants and left over bond money from a 2002 bond issue to pay for the improvements. Original estimates for the project were around $700,000.

The council also awarded a $500,000 parishwide yearly drainage excavation contract to RAMJ construction. Boe said the Kenner firm will be responsible for ditch digging and other drainage maintenance parishwide. The contract includes a 30-day cancellation clause.

Toward the end of Tuesday’s meeting, the council presented McTopy and Boe with plaques and applauded the men for “stepping in to keep the parish running smoothly” amid the changes caused by Hubbard’s resignation in September. Following the presentation, the council allowed McTopy to expound on the initiatives accomplished throughout the previous administration.