You Won’t Believe Shreveport City Council Staff Salaries

Members of the Shreveport City Council recently submitted a proposal to raise council-members' salaries from the current $16,000 per year to $25,000 per year.  We know $16K a year is not a liveable wage, but city council is considered a part-time position.  All council members have full-time jobs from pastor, night club/restaurant owner to attorney.

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But an argument can certainly be made that council-members spend more time on council business than just their twice a month meetings. But, where council members might deserve a higher 'salary,' you might not believe what council support staff members make.

John Settle, of SettleTalk.com, recently submitted a PRR (Public Records Request) pertaining to City Council Support Staff salaries.  He received the following from Joseph Woodley of Pettiette, Armand, Dunkelman, Woodley, Byrd & Cromwell:

• Kendra Joseph - Clerk of Council - $90,000.00
• LaTonya Bogan - Chief Deputy Clerk of Council - $86,000.00
• Tammie Roberison - Deputy Clerk of Council - $75,000.00
• Terri Sanders - Deputy Clerk of Council - $52,000.00
• Jacqueline White - Council Analyst - $99,000.00

That's $402,000 a year on City Council staff salaries.  Now granted, some of these are required by city charter, but do we really need 4 Clerks of Council?

Shreveport Council member Dr. Alan Jackson has proposed a resolution for yet another position. Dr. Jackson has requested a "Director of Council Affairs," at a cost of $80,000-$100,000 per year. This person would serve as a liaison between the public and City Council.  Dr. Jackson told KEEL News:

Again, this person is going to be assisting us behind the scenes in order to tell the masses what's going on. So you've got to think about it, if you look at percentages, about 5% of the people of the people of Shreveport actually, actively pay attention to what is going on as far as legislation, what we're doing, even listening to KEEL Radio, that we're on right now.  My goal is to make sure that the majority of people in Shreveport know what is going on... this is extremely important, we have to do a better job of selling the city.  I can't sell the city to outsiders if the people in this city don't understand, or are not comfortable with what's going on right now.