Hiring of new Kaplan assistant police chief raises budget questions

KAPLAN — At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Kaplan City Police Chief Josh Hardy introduced Robert LeMay as the new assistant police chief. However, LeMay, who was in the audience, heard an earful between the council, police chief and Mayor Mike Kloesel on his hiring.
LeMay resigned from the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office to become the assistant chief of police in Kaplan. His first day on the job is today.
The earful LeMay heard between the council, Mayor and Chief was whether the city could afford to hire an assistant police chief. The town has not had an assistant police chief in five years.
The position of assistant police chief is still a position on the police department’s books but has not been budgeted for a salary in five years.
So when Mayor Kloesel received a letter Tuesday afternoon from Chief Hardy that he hired a new assistant police chief, he was caught off. It was the first time he heard about the hiring.
Mayor Kloesel worries, “Can the police chief’s budget afford to hire a new assistant police chief?”
The answer was no, based on the early budget numbers that Mayor Kloesel was looking at Wednesday morning.
Mayor Kloesel said the new hire is expected to push the police budget over by $5,000, not counting buying a new vehicle for LeMay to drive.
“This position has to be budgeted, and it is not in the budget,” said Mayor Kloesel. “The Chief can hire who he wants, but that does not mean the city can afford to give him a paycheck. We cannot pay him if it is not in the budget.”
LeMay’s projected salary is $37,593, which is what the old assistant police chief salary was.
Chief Hardy said he did not need the council’s or Mayor’s approval to hire an assistant police chief. He controls his budget, he said on Wednesday morning.
Also, Chief Hardy understood that because the assistant police chief position was still on the books, the city budgeted for the position each year. On Tuesday, he learned from Heather Guidry, the city’s clerk, that because no one is in the position, the city does not budget a salary for an assistant police chief.
On Wednesday, Chief Hardy explained how his department would pay for the assistant police chief position. The department is down a lieutenant position, making a little less money than an assistant police chief. Chief Hardy said he would not hire a person for the lieutenant position and use that salary to help pay LeMay.
As for the city having to buy a new police unit, Chief Hardy said LeMay would use the department’s unit.
“The hiring of LeMay makes the Kaplan Police Department better,” said Chief Hardy. “He will oversee the patrol department and the vehicles, along with helping the detectives. My job is to protect the citizens of Kaplan the best way I can. The hiring of LeMay does that.”