Stelly gets pay raise despite objectors

Police Chief Carroll Stelly got his pay raise Monday night despite a string of citizens who voiced contentious and often emotion-laden objections in an hour long public hearing.
On a 3-2 vote, the Rayne City Council approved an almost $7,000 raise to bring Stelly’s annual salary to $53,000.
Approving the raise were Councilmen Lendell “Pete” Babineaux, Kenneth Guidry and Michael Calise Doucet.
Before casting his affirmative vote, Doucet suggested the salary be lowered to $51,000, but reversed himself after told that option wasn’t possible in the midst of a roll call vote.
Casting no votes were District 1 Councilwoman Curtrese Minix and District 4 Councilman James “Jimmy” Fontenot.
Before casting her vote, Minix mentioned she had called a community meeting last week and based her vote on the opinions expressed by the Ward One residents. Fontenot offered no explanation for his vote.
The vote followed the public hearing which, at times, became unruly, forcing Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux to loudly and forcibly use his gavel to quiet the standing room only audience which spilled into the hallway.
Before opening the public hearing, it was announced that speakers would be restricted to a two minute limit.
The first to speak was Dexter Harmon , who initially asked that the ordinance be read aloud.
Saying his objection “wasn’t personal” against Stelly, Harmon said, “This is not the time for a pay raise.” He also noted that Ward One residents voted “90 to 10 against Stelly” in his recent re-election. He called the nearly $7,000 raise untimely “when you look at the crime and drugs on the street.”
Harmon strongly expressed his displeasure after he was told he had exceeded his two-minute limit by City Clerk Annette Cutrera.
He was followed by Crystal LeBlanc who said, “This is not the time for a pay raise.” She also told Chief Stelly, “The police officers aren’t doing a good job under your leadership. I’ve seen some unprofessional behavior.”
LeBlanc and another woman, Theresa Richard were later ordered removed from the Council Chambers by Mayor Robichaux after they spoke out of turn from the audience and they refused to stop talking after he tried to gavel them into silence.
Wendell Price, who followed LeBlanc, confronted Chief Stelly as he repeated accusations that two officers had beat him and used a taser on him.
Price would speak later in the hearing with accusations against a former police officer involved in his arrest. He also contended that 15 reserve officers had not been properly approved by the City Council.
Chief Stelly, noting that Price has filed a civil lawsuit against him, said he would respond in court. He did, however, say that the hiring of all police and reserve officers have been approved by the City Council.
When Cynthia Mouton said her son had been beat by city policemen, Mayor Robichaux countered that she should have filed a report.
When another resident, Ken Babineaux reported police had questioned him but not the other driver in an automobile accident, the mayor promised an investigation.
When Hilda Wiltz asked about the possibility of merit and cost-of-living pay raises for police officers, She wondered if Stelly’s pay raise was out of line with salaries of the department’s patrolmen and other line officers. Mayor Robichaux reported a survey of wages for area police chiefs had been conducted and salaries were found to average $63,000. The mayor also noted city employees received a 2.5 percent cost-of-living hike in the 2015-16 budget. Stelly also added officer’s pay was the lowest in the area when he became police chief nine years ago, but now is the highest.
Speaking in favor of Stelly’s pay raise were Gerald Foreman, a former councilman, and Dowell D. Folds, a former sheriff’s deputy.
Later in the meeting, Chief Stelly provided a review of his police career, starting as a reserve officer in 1983, and improvements he had overseen in the department.
He concluded, “During my career as a police officer and now as Chief, I have served the citizens of Rayne with the utmost respect and compassion while enforcing the laws and making decisions that sometimes you disagree with. This has and continues to be my passion to serve the great people of the City of Rayne.”