PLAQUEMINE - Santa just passed last week, and Christmas will come again in July when large raises are doled out at the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office. The raises are a result of property taxes paid by Shintech.

A 10-year property tax exemption at the Plaquemine facility expired in 2019. It means, Shintech paid almost $10 million at the end of the year in taxes to Iberville Parish. About $2 million are going to the Sheriff's Office, and Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said he plans to boost salaries in his department.

Stassi said currently many of his starting deputies have to work a lot of extra duty just to make ends meet. The current starting salary for an Iberville Parish Deputy is $25,000. In July, it will bump up to $31,000.

"We are in a competitive market," Stassi said. "We have 19 major industries, petrochemical industries around here and historically they pick one or two off from me a year to go to the money. I don't blame them."

Stassi hopes the extra money and boosting the salaries will help keep some of his deputies employed with the Sheriff's Office.

Although the money has arrived, there are some stipulations. Stassi said because he was just re-elected, state law prevents him from handing out the raises now.

"We're coming off an election, and there's a payroll padding provision that we are under and will have to postpone it until July 1," Stassi said.

The lion's share of the money will go to the Iberville Parish School System. Those in charge of finances there said voters determine where their property taxes go. In this case, the money will be spent on buildings, benefits for employees and programs.

Richard Mason, advisor to Shintech's president, released the following statement Thursday.

"Shintech's focus on its community is embodied in the company's motto: 'Live Locally, Hire Locally, Buy Locally.' Today, Shintech Louisiana employs approximately 450 full-time workers and nearly 600 contractors in support of operations in Plaquemine and Addis. Shintech is committed to being a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. In 2019, property tax exemptions expired for one of Shintech's facilities in Plaquemine (SPP-1). Shintech paid property taxes for 2019 in the approximate amount of $9.8 million. In the 10 years that this SPP-1 facility was under the property tax exemption, Shintech paid approximately $80 million in sales and use taxes to Iberville Parish."