By Marilyn Miller

The Dixie Inn Board of Aldermen approved a $2.40 per hour pay raise for Village Clerk Alicia Ware during the monthly meeting on Feb. 13, 2024.

Mayor Donna Hoffoss had initially asked the board for a raise of $1.50 per hour for Ware, but suggested that it was just a starting point. Alderman Lance Milligan initially bumped the hike up by $2.00, but then raised that to $2.40. Alderman Nell Finlay moved that the motion be approved. The vote of approval was unanimous.

“I didn’t realize how much you do,” Milligan said, expressing the “Do.”

Mike Chreene, Water/Maintenance supervisor, agreed, saying “She earns every dollar!”

Prior to the pay raise, the board unanimously passed a motion by Alderman Judy McKenzie to “pay our clerk a monthly gas mileage of 67 cents per mile (which is the Federal mileage rate) to be paid monthly by check.” The mileage can only be accrued for village business.

Mayor Hoffoss introduced an ordinance to provide for the enforcement of certain traffic violations by automated means, and to provide for civil penalties for those certain traffic violations enforced by automated means. The ordinance will be on display until seven days prior to March 12 (the next board meeting), at which time a public hearing will take place at 5 p.m. in the board chambers.

“Once the ordinance has been adopted, I can order (the hardware),” Police Chief Alan Davis said.

In other business, the board:

• Adopted a resolution to apply for Fiscal Year 2023-24 LGAP in the amount of $25,000 to have the village water tower inspected. The FY 2023-2024 per parish allocation of LGAP funds has been set at $100,000. The Office of Community Development has developed guidelines for the use of these funds which will allow local governments to apply for assistance for various community projects. All municipalities and parishes within the state of Louisiana that are identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as non-entitlement communities are eligible to apply for assistance;
• Adopted a resolution to apply for Fiscal Year 2023-24 CWEF in the amount of $15,000 to have the village water tower cleaned. CWEF provides funding to aid units of local government in rehabilitating, improving and constructing projects for community water systems to provide safe, clean drinking water.