Alexandria City Council approves 10% pay increase for full-time classified city employees

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - Alexandria city employees will be receiving a market-based pay increase for the first time since 2008.

On April 19, 2022, the Alexandria City Council voted to approve the budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which includes a 10% pay raise for all full-time classified employees. The 10% pay increase is 2% higher than what Mayor Jeff Hall had originally proposed in the budget.

The city is currently conducting a pay study that will compare the pay for workers in Alexandria as it relates to surrounding areas. The council has said that once the results do come back, they could be able to raise the pay increases even higher to make it more competitive, but a 10% raise is seen as a good start.

“The 10% is excellent because we think that we are going to be double-digit as far as out of market, so we don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s a good thing because the employees have been patient,” Mayor Hall said. “We are very pleased to see all employees at least at market value as far as compensation is concerned. This was undone, we had to finish it. This was a good thing today to end like we did.”

It is not known yet when the results for the pay study will be complete.

APD assures all zones are covered in the city

Alexandria Police Department Chief Ronney Howard was requested to be at the meeting to speak about crime concerns across the city.

Chief Howard assured the council that all nine zones are fully covered each day and that despite the 40 vacancies in the department, they still have enough officers to staff the zones. Council President Catherine Davidson questioned Chief Howard on this, saying that it is “impossible.” Chief Howard responded by saying that it is not impossible because it takes 60 officers to have a complete shift each night, and they have 67 officers assigned to the uniform division patrol.

“As of March 21, we assigned eight new officers to the Uniform Division Patrol Field Service Bureau. As a result of that, our shift manager, when he comes in, he can supply nine zones, four supervisors along with himself. That’s full coverage. In the 32 years that I’ve been working in the city police department, we’ve always had nine zones.”

“Everything the chief said was accurate,” Mayor Hall said in response. “The zones are covered properly. There are some things you are just unable to project or predict. When they do, we respond, and we have the resources.”

Chief Howard said as a result of high crime activities in certain parts of town, APD has developed a new task force that has been sent out several times already to provide more patrol in specific areas.

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