City Council approves $1,000 bonuses for city employees
Posted: Nov 11, 2009 11:19 AM

Approximately 1,100 Shreveport city employees will see $1,000 bonuses in their Dec. 15 paychecks, following the City Council's vote on Tuesday to approve the one-time payments.

The money will come from $6.3 million in payments the city received for leasing some of its land for natural gas drilling as part of the Haynesville Shale field. The bonuses will cost $1.3 million and the council will vote later to budget the remainder of the shale money.

The council unanimously approved a resolution to pay the bonuses to most civilian city employees, who did not get pay raises last year or this year. Many public safety employees get small "step" increases each year.

Taxes and retirement payments will be deducted from the payments.

Councilman Michael Long raised concerns about whether the city can afford to pay the bonuses because sales tax revenues are approximately $3 million less than projected this year. But his colleagues felt they needed to pay employees. Mayor Cedric Glover said city departments are coming in under budget this year.

The bonuses would not be paid to elected officials, political appointees, civil service fire and police employees, and people who work in Shreveport City Court, the city marshal's office or the Metropolitan Planning Commission.

The city has leased 740 acres for natural gas drilling.


Buck