PLAQUEMINE — Iberville Parish employees will see a 2.5% pay increase starting this week, The Advocate reports.

The raises stem from the first Cost of Living Adjustment since the parish charter was created in 1997.

The paper reported that the pay increase affects roughly 230 employees. While all employees will receive at least a 2.5% increase, some may receive an additional 1% based on a merit evaluation. 

The raises were approved as part of a budget from last fall, following recommendations made by Baton Rouge-based consulting firm Emergent Method. Tiered pay structures were also approved.

Parish President Chris Daigle said the decision to increase pay parishwide was made in part to increase employee retention and shift the way the parish government operates toward a more “businesslike approach,” The Advocate reports.

He said that, when he took office in 2024, the average employee tenure was about 6.5 years, and he hopes to at least double that.