Some in opposition of new law allowing City Marshal to pocket fees paid by citizens

Some in opposition of new law allowing City Marshal to pocket fees paid by citizens

DETAILS COMING UP IN JUST A BIT.WE’RE BASICALLY LETTING THESEDEPARTMENTS.PUT AN INCENTIVE O A COLLECTINGFEES FROM TAXPAYERS TONIGHTPUSHBACK ON A NEW STATE LAW THATWILL BOOST THE SALARY OF THELAFAYETTE CITY.MARSHAL THE NEW LAW SIGNED BYTHE GOVERNOR.THIS WEEK WILL ALLOW THE MARSHALTO SUPPLEMENT HIS SALARY WITHFEES COLLECTED BY HIS OFFICE IFTHIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR, THESE ARETHE SAME FEES THAT CONTRIBUTEDTO FORMER CITY.MARSHAL BRIAN POPE’S LEGALTROUBLES THE WAY THE LAW WASWRITTEN THE MARSHALS INLAFAYETTE AND SHREVEPORT WEREFORBIDDEN FROM SUPPLEMENTINGTHEIR INCOME WITH FEES FORMERMARSHALL BRIAN POPE WAS INDICTEDFOR POCKETING THOSE FEES.EVEN AFTER HE WAS TOLD HECOULDN’T GIVEN THE HISTORY WITHTHE FEES IN THE MARSHAL’SOFFICE.THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHYTHE LAW WAS PROPOSED AMAN BOYDHAS THE STORY FROM OUTSIDE OFTHE MARSHALL’S OFFICE IMAN.WE FOUND OUT A VERSION OF THISLAW WAS PROPOSED IN THE 2020LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEFOREREGGIE.THOMAS WAS ELECTED, BUT IT HASMANY QUESTIONING WHY IT’S EVENNECESSARY THE NEW LAW ALLOWINGTHE MARSHAL TO SUPPLEMENT HISINCOME WITH FEES WILL BOOSTMARSHALL REGGIE THOMAS’S SALARYFROM HIS BASE PAY OF 88,000 TO13.2000 PUTTING THAT INPERSPECTIVE.HERE’S WHAT OTHER TOP LAWENFORCEMENT IN THE PARISH MAKETHE SHERIFF WHO OVERSEES 735EMPLOYEES HAS A SALARY OF NEARLY$166,000 THE LAFAYETTE PARISHCHIEF ABOUT THE SAME AS THEMARSHALL AT AROUND 132,000, BUTWITH 344 EMPLOYEES THE MARSHALLOVERSEES ABOUT 25 EMPLOYEES.THERE’S A MAN’S CHARGED WITH 17FELONIES SPECIFICALLY FOR TAKINGTHESE FEES SO MY QUESTION WASWHERE WAS SOMEBODY?TO TO TAKE YOU KNOW TO TAKE THISTO THE SENATE.WHEN WHEN THIS MAN WAS BEINGCHARGED FOR TAKING THESE FEESAMY ROBINSON SPOKE IN OPPOSITIONOF THE BILL MOVING FORWARDBECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS CITY.MARSHAL BRIAN.POPE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUTBRIAN.POPE WOULD INSTILL SOME HOPE INTHIS THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE WITHA NEW MARSHALL AND I’M AFRAIDTHAT THIS IS PROBABLY NOT GOINGTO DO A LOT TO INSTILL FAITH.THE LEGISLATION WAS SPONSORED BYSTATE.SENATOR GERALD BOUDREAUX WHOEXPLAINED WHY IN THE COMMITTEE?YES, WE’RE CHANGED THE STATUE.AND A LOT CLOUD IT HAS THEPARAMETERS FOR WHAT ISACCEPTABLE FOR PAY FOR THE CITYMARSHALL AND IT’S CONSISTENTWITH WHAT OTHER MARGINS AREDOING SHREVEPORT IS THE ONLYCITY IN THE STATE THAT DOES NOTRECEIVE THIS INCREASE.WE REACH OUT TO THE MARSHALL’SOFFICE THERE AND WE WERE TOLDTHAT THEY ARE EXAMINING OPTIONSTO INTRODUCE SOMETHING SIMILAR.TO WHAT THE LAFAYETTE CITYMARSHAL’S OFFICE