Vidalia — The Concordia Parish Police Jury is looking into court reporters’ salaries in other parishes in Louisiana to find out what a reasonable salary is before a 3-percent salary increase is discussed for the 2011-2012 budget, Melvin Ferrington, police jury president, said.

The police jury reviewed an opinion at the meeting sent by the office of Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell at Monday night’s meeting. The document stated it was the opinion of Caldwell’s office that Judges Kathy Johnson and Leo Boothe of the Seventh Judicial District Court, who signed an order received by the jury in February mandating the 3-percent salary increase, had the authority to do so. The order also said the court reporters’ salary be paid strictly out of the parish’s general fund for the 2012 fiscal year. The police jury had requested the attorney general review whether or not the judges had the authority to impose the salaries.

The opinion also stated it was the jury’s obligation to find out whether or not the salaries were reasonable given the parish’s budget. Ferrington said the salaries, which are currently paid from the general fund then reimbursed by the criminal court fund, are unreasonable given that taxes are down and the parish’s budget is already struggling.

“Our budget can’t handle it,” Ferrington said during the meeting. “It will put a great burden on our budget if this happens.”

The share of the two court reporters’ salaries that Concordia Parish pays was also increased to $385 each per month in March by the order. The salaries are paid by the Concordia and Catahoula parishes, with Concordia paying approximately 75 percent of the salaries, said Hazel Dickson, Concordia Police jury secretary-treasurer.

Dickson said right now she is not sure what other parishes the police jury will review.

Brad Burget, Concordia Parish district attorney, mentioned at the meeting that Oak Grove, which is in West Carroll parish, may be comparable to Concordia.

The attorney general’s opinion states that if the jury declines to include the salary funds in the budget, the judges may bring a mandamus action against the police jury. A mandamus orders a public agency or governmental body to perform an act required by law when it has neglected or refused to do so.