At a special meeting held Monday evening, Henderson aldermen voted unanimously to increase Mayor Sherbin Collette’s salary by $4,800 per year.
The 10 percent hike will boost his annual pay from $48,000 to $52,800, effective July 1.
Collette and aldermen Wil White and Bill Legrand huddled behind closed doors before the official meeting opened. When Mayor Pro Tem Jody Meche arrived, he joined the group, along with town attorney Jerry Mallet, while Legrand exited.
When the public meeting was convened, Meche said that “Mayor Collette is the best mayor in the Acadiana area. Because of Mayor Collette, Henderson has more than $1 million in the bank and has half a million earning interest.”
Meche added, “Because of the mayor, we also have improvements to the park, new playground equipment and an operating sewer system.”
In approving the town budget for fiscal year 2018-19, aldermen also allocated $45,000 for pay raises for municipal employees and included a $10,000 allocation to the Henderson Volunteer Fire Department.
The $59,800 for the pay hikes and fire department allocation will come from the town’s sales tax fund.
“We have the money,” Meche assured the council.
