St. Charles Parish Clerk of Court Lance Marino is seeking a pay increase made possible by changes approved during the past session of the Louisiana state legislature.
Marino noted that while he has been able to consider and at times implement raises for his deputy clerks each fiscal year, Louisiana’s clerks of court have not received a salary adjustment in more than 10 years. Such an adjustment can only be approved by legislation advanced in the state legislature and signed by the governor. In the past session, such legislation was approved and signed. That legislation was supported by the Louisiana Clerks of Court Association in Baton Rouge, Marino said. The approved legislation and governor’s signature have already officially allowed the increase for clerks who can afford it in their budgets and wish to accept some percentage of it.
He added that no tax dollars fund the employee salary account and that the only funds available for raises for Marino or any of his office’s employees are those funds generated by fees charged for court filings and other business matters.
“As in any year that I consider raises for my staff, I will request the advice of my accountant as to whether accepting a raise would be prudent. It is my understanding that the legislation limits any clerk’s increase to a 5 percent cap,” Marino said.
The last compensation increase for the position came in 2014, when Marino was granted a raise to an annual salary of $105,000.
Marino said his number of employees has remained approximately the same for the past 12 years, though the workload has grown significantly.
“Yet due to updated data programs, improved electronic systems, and substantially digitizing almost all documents, we have been able to handle the increased volume of work with the same amount of people,” Marino said.
Marino was first elected as St. Charles Parish’s clerk of court in the fall of 2011.The Norco resident and Destrehan High alum previously served as District 6 councilman and then as councilman-at-large, Division A.
The parish’s clerk of court office is currently located at a temporary headquarters near the corner of River Road and Dufresne Loop in Luling. A return to the parish’s courthouse in Hahnville is targeted following renovations that are expected to be completed late this year or in early 2025.
“Whether in our temporary location or in our soon to be updated space, we will continue to serve the public courteously, professionally,” Marino said.
