Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr. has approved a restructured employment arrangement for the city’s grant writer, transitioning the position from full-time to part-time remote work with a reduced salary of $55,000 annually, even as the employee remains under investigation by the Louisiana Board of Ethics.
The arrangement comes as both the mayor and the grant writer, along with the city’s director of finance, face ongoing ethics board scrutiny, though the specific nature of the investigation has not been publicly disclosed.
Under the new arrangement, the grant writer will shift from full-time in-office employment to part-time work conducted remotely, eliminating the requirement to maintain a physical presence at city offices. The position’s salary has been reduced from $75,000 to $55,000, a decrease of approximately 27 percent, despite the transition to part-time status.
The timing of the employment restructuring has raised questions about oversight and accountability, given the concurrent ethics investigation involving multiple city officials, including the mayor who approved the arrangement.
The Louisiana Board of Ethics investigates potential violations of the state’s ethics code, which governs conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, and other conduct by public officials and employees. Ethics investigations can remain confidential until formal charges are filed or the board takes public action.
The reclassification from full-time to part-time status effectively removes the position from city council oversight. Under Natchitoches municipal procedures, department head positions and their salaries require approval by the city council as a body, but part-time positions fall under mayoral authority and do not require council approval. The restructuring places the grant writer position outside the council’s jurisdiction.
Questions about the arrangement include whether the part-time designation accurately reflects expected work hours, how performance will be monitored in a remote setting, and whether the $55,000 salary level is commensurate with similar part-time positions within the City of Natchitoches.
City officials and council members have declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation and its confidential nature.
The Natchitoches City Council meets tonight, and the mayor may provide additional transparency on this matter during the session. Many questions remain unanswered. How many actual hours will be required per week? Is there a required activity log? What is the published job description for this part-time position? Who will be the supervisor for this position?
