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VIDALIA, La. — The Vidalia Board of Aldermen voted 4-1 to pass a new ordinance giving themselves a $300 incentive not to miss regularly scheduled meetings.

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget discussed by the board, they agreed to an across-the-board 5 percent increase for all town employees.

However, with the motion passed Tuesday, the Aldermen’s monthly salary increases from $700 to $1,000 only if they attend the regular meeting for the month.

“They will get their $700 but the increase will be subject to attending the regular meetings,” Mayor Craft said. “I would ask that we make that the case for any reason, whether it be sickness, death, or whatever the case may be, so that it is not arbitrary.”

District 2 Alderman Robert Gardner was alone in voting against the motion to require meeting attendance for $1,000 per month pay. Alderman Brent Smith made the motion to pass the ordinance and it was seconded by Alderman Jon Betts and it passed by a vote of 4-1 with Betts, Smith, Tommy Probst and Tron McCoy all in favor of it.

While Tuesday was the first meeting of the current administration, Gardner — who has been reelected — was absent from six regular board meetings over the last year including the July, October, and November board meetings in 2023 and the February, April and June board meetings in 2024, as seen in recorded videos of these meetings.

Gardner said he spoke with three attorneys who said the ordinance is “unconstitutional.”

“Once we’re elected, the only thing that can be done is an increase,” Gardner said. “To change our salaries and attach an ordinance to it would have had to have been done prior to us being sworn in. … The only thing that we can do now is increase it without anything attached to it.”

However, Craft said he had done his “research” and received LMA officials’ and the attorney general’s opinion stating that “We absolutely can do it” prior to bringing the topic to the board.

Reading the AG’s opinion, Craft said, “’The town is free to pass an ordinance that requires aldermen’s attendance at meetings in order to receive compensation as long as this ordinance does not otherwise conflict with state law.’ The state law that Mr. Gardner is referring to states that you cannot lower an official’s salary from whatever it was when they qualified to run for office. We’re not lowering it by requiring attendance. You’re going to get what it was, $700, but will get an increase to $1,000 if you attend the meetings. That is not unconstitutional.”

Before the motion passed, Probst raised questions about the criteria for receiving $1,000, stating that absences that are caused by a death in the alderman’s family or a legitimate illness should be excused.

“People can come up with a lot of excuses,” Craft said, reiterating that the proposal would not reduce aldermen’s pay. “It’s an incentive for them to be here.”

McCoy added, “If there is a reason for me not to be here such as what Alderman Probst is saying, that $300 is not going to give me enough incentive to be here. We’ll be here until tomorrow coming up with excuses as to why it’s OK to miss a meeting.”

In other matters on Tuesday, the aldermen appointed Jon Betts again to serve as mayor pro tempore to Mayor Craft.

The motion to appoint Betts was made by McCoy, stating Betts is the “longest-serving councilman here.” The motion was seconded by Smith.

In discussion, Gardner said he would like to see two signatures required on checks and not just the mayor’s signature or the mayor pro tempore.

“In my experience as a mayor pro tem, we only signed in the absence of the mayor,” Gardner said. “I think we could do better due diligence with better checks and balances by having two signatures on all checks.”

Craft responded by saying he follows procedures that were in place before his first election.

“Each check goes through two or three sets of eyes before I sign it and another set of eyes after I sign it,” he said. “My signature is not a stamp. It’s an inconvenience to the mayor pro tem to come and sign every check and a disservice to them. It would be way beyond their scope. The budget act only requires the mayor’s signature and the past three or four audits have found no findings or any signs of wrongdoing.”

No actions were taken on Tuesday pertaining to the signature requirements.

The town also set the millage rate the same as the prior fiscal year at 3.37 mills, which Craft said is “the lowest (millage rate) in the State of Louisiana.”

The board made the following appointments to city positions:

• Piara Wilson was reappointed as Municipal Clerk and increased her salary to $62,500.
• Smith Taliaferro & Purvis of Jonesville, Louisiana were appointed to represent the town as its attorneys, replacing George Murray who has stepped down due to ongoing health concerns, Craft said.
• Brad Burget was reappointed as Municipal Prosecutor.
• Randy Roberts was appointed as the head of the street department.
• Cornell Lewis was reappointed as the head of the utility department.
• Johnny Evans was reappointed as Chief of the Vidalia Fire Department.
• The Concordia Sentinel was reappointed as the town’s legal journal.
• Silas Simmons was reappointed as the town’s auditing firm.

Each of these appointments was unanimous with the exception of Burget’s and Roberts’ appointments. Theirs each passed 4-1. Gardner voted no to Burget as Municipal Prosecutor without discussion and no to Roberts as head of the street department, stating that there were others within the department who had served longer and were more qualified.