The Central City Council discussed the police department budget and staffing needs during a budget review meeting, with Finance Director Suzanne Coward presenting figures and the police chief answering council questions.

Coward told the council that the police budget as originally adopted for 2024 was $1.398 million, the last amended budget stood at $1.374 million and the city is projecting a final amended total of about $1.128 million for the current fiscal year. She said the department’s salaries line in the proposed budget reflects a 2% increase.

The discussion focused on so‑called extra‑duty labor — paid details staffed by deputies working off duty — and on recruiting and retention. The draft shows a projected extra‑duty spend of roughly $86,000 for the current year but council members were told actual spending historically comes in well under allocations. The chief said the sheriff’s office has had challenges fully staffing details and that the city often does not expend the full amount budgeted for extra duty.

Police staffing and pay drew the heaviest back‑and‑forth. Coward and the chief explained some positions were being rebudgeted to match actual hours worked — for example, the logistics officer and evidence clerk hours were reduced in the draft because they are working fewer hours than were included in last year’s budget. Coward said one lieutenant position’s hours were trimmed and that adjustments were made to accommodate a planned salary increase for a management position: “This bumps Michelle Lewis’ pay up to $55,000 a year,” she said.

Council members pressed whether raising part‑time/extra‑duty rates would meaningfully improve coverage. A law‑enforcement recruiter from another parish who spoke during public comment said pay matters for recruiting and retention but is not a complete solution; he told the council that many applicants now seek work that allows more family time and that raising rates would help attract retirees and experienced officers. The recruiter said, in part, “I can tell you right now for extra duty... it would take at least that for me to go back on the streets,” referring to a higher hourly rate discussed in the meeting.

Council members said they want a more deliberate plan before agreeing to large pay increases. One councilor warned that immediately increasing hourly pay for part‑time or extra‑duty work could complicate a longer‑term transition plan should the city pursue a full‑time police department in the future. Coward and the chief said any pay‑scale or step‑plan could be adopted later and funded by an amended budget, but councilors asked staff to return with more detailed cost scenarios.

The chief and staff also reported that the department is evaluating a new records management system (RMS) and that software and hardware budget lines are still being finalized. Coward said she recently received updated quotes and expected only moderate changes to those lines in the near term.

No formal action or vote was taken on pay changes; council members asked staff to prepare options and costed proposals for further consideration.

Looking ahead, the council asked for a concise cost analysis showing the fiscal impact of (a) increasing part‑time/extra‑duty pay, (b) adopting a step pay scale tied to experience, and (c) moving toward a full‑time department so the council could weigh recruitment benefits against additional recurring costs.