Calcasieu Parish police jurors last week approved a request for a 4 percent mid-year salary increase in the parish’s compensation plan.

The increase takes effect May 1 and impacts all starting pay rates, as well as existing parish employees. Parish Administrator Bryan Beam said the increase is needed for the parish to retain existing employees and recruit new ones as inflation rates remain high.

A March Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated an 8.5 increase in the cost of goods regularly purchased by consumers, such as fuel, groceries, clothing and hardware. While the average inflation rate from 2013 to early 2021 was between 1 and 2 percent, it has risen steadily since April 2021.

“It is unclear whether this trend may level off or decrease,” Beam said. “We certainly hope it does. After a year of this, it’s clear that this is no short-term thing.”

High inflation rates have made it even harder for residents, including parish employees, to pay their bills, Beam said. Retaining employees has become more of a challenge for the Police Jury, he added.

“It is rare to have to make this type of request outside of the annual budget process,” he said of the pay increase. “But, as you are all aware, the sustained exceedingly high level of inflation is also rare, or we hope.”

Beam said the pay raise is being funded through anticipated unspent funds in 2022 related to vacancies within certain parish departments.

The parish Budget Committee approved the request prior to the full Police Jury.

District 13 Police Juror Joe Andrepont called the increase a good move to keep existing employees and attract new ones.

The Police Jury also authorized spending $1.5 million from the parishwide gaming fund for construction of the Port Wonder project, located along the lakefront in Lake Charles. Beam said the parish had set aside the money in past budget years to contribute to the project. With work on the project underway, that amount will go toward overall site preparation, he said.