Council fills long-vacant administrative post, overhauls employee pay, and addresses audit improvements
PORT ALLEN – Editor’s note: WBR Independent continues to follow the situation at 626 Gladiolus Street. We are working to bring all sides of the story together for a follow-up to our earlier coverage. This article covers the remaining business from the January meetings.
The Port Allen City Council hired a new Chief Administrative Officer, raised salaries for elected officials, and addressed a long list of city business during its January 7 committee and January 14 regular meetings.
Phillip Mason Named CAO
The council voted 4-1 to hire Phillip Mason as Chief Administrative Officer after two rounds of interviews.
Mason grew up on 8th Street in Port Allen. He graduated from Port Allen High School and Southern University, where he earned a finance degree — a background he said he plans to put to work.
“A lot of people don’t know my degree is in finance. So I bring a different aspect to this position,” Mason told the council. “I have a fiscal background.”
A father of six, Mason said the job carries personal weight. “I got some things that I want to show these young kids around that they can do it also.”
Councilwoman Charlene Gordon and Councilman Gregory Payne conducted second interviews on the personnel committee and both spoke favorably of Mason. Gordon said she checked with Finance Director Adrian Daigle about the working relationship and got a positive response. Councilman Gary Hubble cast the lone no vote without stating a reason.
The position had been empty since Lance Joseph resigned in September 2025 following public criticism about his accessibility.
Elected Official Salary Increases
After a public hearing with no public comment, the council approved pay raises for all five elected and appointed positions.
Mayor Terecita Pattan and Police Chief Donovan Mitchell will receive 10 percent increases. The City Judge, City Marshal, and Municipal Clerk Rose Roché will receive 6 percent.
Councilwoman April King pushed for 10 percent across the board, arguing the judge would no longer receive a separate parish payment. The council voted 5-0 for the tiered approach.
Separate agenda items on when the raises take effect and budget adjustments were tabled because the budget amendment ordinance was never introduced at the December meeting. Those come back at a future meeting.
Sales Tax Down, Audit Improving
Daigle’s midyear financial report showed the general fund has collected 46 percent of projected revenue at the halfway mark — below the 50 percent target. Sales tax is the main drag. The December payment came in about $100,000 short of projections. Budget amendments will likely come in May.
Spending is at 42 percent of budget, which helps offset the revenue gap.
More than a quarter of utility customers aren’t paying by the 26th due date. Many treat the 10th of the following month as the real deadline. Daigle asked council members to help get the word out that bills cover usage from two months prior and are due on the 26th, not the 10th.
On the audit side, findings dropped from multiple pages to one. No repeat findings, which matters because repeated findings on the same issues can jeopardize state funding. Three of five state agreed-upon procedure findings are already resolved. The two that remain are tied to utility billing and cutoff enforcement — the same issues Daigle has been working through since taking over.
Longevity Pay Overhaul
The council replaced a longevity pay policy that hadn’t changed since January 25, 1962. Under the old rule, employees got $10 per year of service up to 15 years — a maximum of $150. The total longevity payroll for all 70-plus city employees was just over $2,000.
Daigle ran the numbers through inflation calculators and found $10 in 1962 equals about $107 today. The new policy pays $100 per year of service, capped at $2,000, each December.
Mayor Pattan said the change is aimed at employees who don’t make much and have been cashing in leave time in December just to cover holiday expenses. Only five current employees have been with the city since 2012 or earlier.
Personnel
Officer Rushing Juneau was unanimously promoted to Corporal at $51,045.05. Juneau served eight years in the Army before joining the department in May 2025. After earning field training officer certification, he took over a patrol shift without hesitation when two officers left. Chief Mitchell said every member of his command staff had called separately with positive feedback.
At the committee level, Mayor Pattan presented the promotion of Harrissa Antoine from utility clerk to Assistant Director of Finance. Antoine was hired part-time under the previous administration and has since taken over all utility billing from Daigle. She’s on a 90-day probation period with a salary increase to follow.
The council authorized advertising for a new utility clerk to replace Antoine downstairs.
Code Enforcement
Port Allen still doesn’t have a code enforcement inspector. Mayor Pattan and her secretary Lynette Lasain have been driving the city themselves to photograph problem properties.
“I am it. Miss Lynette is it,” Pattan told the council, asking each member to help spot violations in their districts.
The property at 626 Gladiolus Street got 45 additional days before the council reassesses. No formal condemnation has been started. New notices are going out to addresses on Avenue B, Rosedale Road, and Court Street.
The biggest roadblock on condemnation cases is heir properties — homes where the owner is deceased and no heirs can be found. Without someone to serve notice on, due process stalls. Moving forward would require the city to pay for curator appointments.
Infrastructure and Grants
The road rehab project on Avenues D, E, and F on the riverside is heading to advertisement. The city’s LCDBG sewer grant — over $1 million — is with the state awaiting approval. The council also approved applications for two annual grants: the Local Government Assistance Program (up to $50,000 for various needs) and the Community Water Enrichment Fund (about $52,000 for water improvements). Both are fully funded grants.
Other Business
The council approved a government crime insurance policy through Rod Prejean and Associates covering six cash-handling positions at $100 per year, a key card system update ($9,986), maintenance building repairs through J. Terrance Construction LLC ($5,500), and the Pest Tech LLC pest control renewal ($250/month). Alcohol permits were approved for Walgreens, Family Dollar, Court Street Cafe, and Pic A Pac.
Municipal Clerk Roché’s check-signing authority during the CAO vacancy was ratified under Louisiana Revised Statute 33:4:422. The council also formalized policies on accepting postmarked ad valorem tax payments through January 31 and waiving utility deposits for current customers transferring service in good standing.
Coming Up
The council approved $2,000 for the Save Our Sons Black History Month parade. A community prayer breakfast is scheduled February 28 at Cohn Elementary. The Crew of Oaks Mardi Gras parade rolls February 15 at 1 p.m.
The salary increase effective dates and budget amendments return at a future meeting.
The Port Allen City Council’s next committee meeting has been rescheduled from Wednesday, February 4 to Thursday, February 5 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 375 Court Street, Third Floor. The council typically meets the first and second Wednesdays of each month.
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