Shreveport City Council voted unanimously to raise pay for city workers, a move that directly impacts more than 400 classified employees, police officers and firefighters who serve the community daily.
According to KTBS, the council adopted two resolutions that grant a 3% increase to classified city employees effective Dec. 1, and a 6% base‑pay increase for police officers and firefighters effective Jan. 1, 2027. The resolutions also include additional pay adjustments for over 400 employees beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Chief Administrative Officer Tom Dark explained that the raises will be financed primarily through building‑permit fees generated by two new data‑center projects in Caddo Parish. While the permit revenue is a one‑time source, Dark said the city anticipates ongoing property‑tax and electricity‑use fees from the data centers to sustain the higher payroll costs.
Council members voiced concerns about the timing of the raises. Councilman James Green argued that “all municipal employees should receive increases around the same time,” noting that workers “have to go to the gas pump like everybody else.” Councilman Grayson Boucher echoed the sentiment, urging the administration to find a way to provide raises for non‑public‑safety staff by year‑end. Mayor Tom Arceneaux agreed with the concerns and praised Dark for locating the necessary funds.
During the administrative conference, Dark also addressed revisions to the compensation chart made by the Human Resources Board, which adjusted two positions within the Water and Sewer Department after charting errors were discovered. Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor requested clarification on those changes, and the administration committed to supplying the revised pay levels before the council’s upcoming budget meeting.
What’s next: The 3% increase for classified employees takes effect on Dec. 1, while the 6% boost for police and fire personnel begins on Jan. 1, 2027. The city will provide detailed revised pay charts to council members ahead of the next budget session, where further funding strategies for future raises will be discussed.
Sources: ktbs.com
