BATON ROUGE — During its regular meeting, the Baton Rouge Metro Council approved a proposed pay adjustment plan for city-parish employees, including the Constable’s Office. Those employees will soon see an increase in their pay, which will begin later this summer.
“Thank you for keeping your word,” EBR Constable Terrica Williams told UWK when asked if she wanted to say anything to the mayor-president after the vote. “Thank you for taking care of all City Parish Employees.”
The pay raise plan was approved 10-1, with Council member Dwight Hudson being the only “nay” vote. Hudson expressed concern over funding the raises through frozen positions, which is why he said he was choosing to vote “no” at tonight’s meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, Mayor-President Sid Edwards, wearing a public works uniform, said, “This is a vote of the heart tonight. It rarely happens, but tonight, tonight, it’s a vote of your heart to do the right thing for some people.”
In April, the City of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish released a proposed pay adjustment plan for classified and unclassified employees, including the Constable’s Office & DPW employees. According to the Mayor-President’s Office, the proposed raises are based on findings from a 2024 compensation study.
MORE: Constable’s Office requests pay raise
Under the proposal, city-parish employees would first receive a 3.5% raise based on their current salaries before moving into a new 21-step pay scale with updated salary ranges.
The proposed restructuring could lead to higher salaries for deputy constables and supervisors, an issue officials say has affected recruitment and retention as employees leave for higher-paying law enforcement agencies.
Under the proposed scale, deputy constables could earn between roughly $34,000 and more than $58,000 annually, while deputy constable captains could make up to about $74,000.
At Wednesday’s meeting, city-parish workers, including Constable Terrica Williams and multiple deputies in her office, spoke to the council in unified support of the raise, many citing the low wages of all city-parish employees. Several individuals, including city court Judge Yvette Mansfield Alexander, discussed how many employees of the city-parish work multiple jobs just to support themselves and their families.
MORE: Metro Council approves historic pay raise for Baton Rouge Police officers
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There are 3,900 employees in city-parish in 2026, according to the mayor-president’s office. That’s down 544 positions from 2024, with 100 of those vacant and funded by the general fund. The proposal would freeze 100 positions and do more with less.
Around 300 city-parish employees fall below the poverty line, the mayor-president’s office explained.
The approved city-parish employee pay changes will take effect June 27.
The funds for the pay changes are already budgeted for positions that are not filled. The money is moving from those vacant positions to give a raise to city-parish employees, according to the mayor-president’s office.
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