LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) Pay raises for staff in the Lafayette Mayor-President’s office are getting mixed reviews.

M/P Guillory issued a line-item veto to reinstate a pay bump to four “key” members of his office.

The action follows the elimination of positions and closures in the city and parish earlier this year due to budget shortfalls during the pandemic.

“I think if his four get a pay raise, I think everyone else should get a pay raise,” one person explains.

Resident Parker Harrington says no way. Harrington explains what another employee must be feeling.

“I feel like I’m working just as hard. I work as a maid doing manual labor. I should be able to get more money too working hard,” Harrington explained.

The mayor-president says when he took office he reduced his overhead costs by 25% and restructed staff to take on additional duties.

“If they deserve a pay raise, then they deserve a pay raise, I don’t know,” another resident stated.

Parish Councilman Josh Carlson says he’s not going to vote to over-ride the veto.

Guillory’s statement explains that he hired staff for consolidated positions and those restructured jobs warrant the increased salary.

“Also, the mayor-president gave the directive to all directors to cut their budgets by at least 20%; and even with these pay increases the mayor-president is still following the same guideline that he gave to his directors for his own office,” Carlson said.

City council member Glenn Lazard is the one who initiated the budget amendment to remove the pay raises in the mayor president’s office for next year.

“I just didn’t think it was appropriate. I think that it just sends the wrong message,” council Lazard noted.

“I didn’t think it was fair and appropriate.  Considering the fact that we had just recently passed an ordianance withdrawing the 2% pay raise that had been previously granted to all of the employees,” Lazard stated.

“It’s our job to oversee the budget and make sure we are being responsible with the budget which I believe the mayor president overall is,” Carlson explained.