With a salary of more than $183,000 a year, Parish Attorney Tom Wilkinson is Jefferson Parish's highest paid employee.
Wilkinson has been working with the parish for 18 years, 15 of those as parish attorney.
Since then Wilkinson has received four discretionary raises in addition to his annual eligibility increases.
Discretionary raises are granted by an employee's supervisor, in Wilkinson's case former parish presidents Tim Coulon and Aaron Broussard, for a job well done.
Wilkinson's first discretionary raise came in 1999, a 4.9 percent increase in salary.
The next year, another three percent, followed by a 10 percent raise in 2007 and in 2009 Wilkinson's salary increased by 27 percent.
Parish salary records show no other current administration executive has received as many discretionary raises as Wilkinson, except former CAO Tim Whitmer.
"I don't apologize for it, ok. I've worked hard in this job and I have always tried to do this job ethically and to the best of my ability," said Wilkinson.
Wilkinson's says last year's $40,000 pay hike was well deserved but he's prepared to give it back if he has to.
"If Mr. Theriot or any member of the council feels that it's excessive then I will respect whatever decision they make about it," said Wilkinson.
Working for the parish isn't Wilkinson's only job. He also has a private law practice based in Gretna. He's not an elected official so how much money he makes on the side is not public record.
Some of Wilkinson's outside legal work includes curatorships, which are typically routine cases like foreclosures or repossessions.
According to documents released by the Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court, Wilkinson has handled at least 14 curatorships while he was parish attorney.
The curatorships are handed out by judges in JP's 24th Judicial District Court, which is partially funded by the parish. Wilkinson says he is not concerned of an appearance there may be a conflict interest because he has no control over the court's budget.
According to records from the Clerk of Court, Wilkinson has also done other outside legal work since becoming parish attorney, including domestic and contract law cases.
"You had the disclosure that Mr. Wilkinson was the attorney that incorporated CWC Gaming, which was a video poker truck stop attempt by Tim Whitmer and Tim Coulon. He later disclosed that he did succession work for the Whitmer, says Rafael Goyeneche of the Metropolitan Crime Commission.
Goyeneche points out that Wilkinson’s outside legal work created a problem for the parish when the investigation into former CAO Tim Whitmer's insurance business was launched.
"Those extra curricular legal gigs he took on the side made him have to recuse himself from the most significant investigation that the parish attorney's office has done in Jefferson Parish during his tenure."
Wilkinson outside legal work could be a violation of parish law.
"He's paid a full time salary. The parish charter requires that the parish attorney devote his full services to the parish as parish attorney," says Goyeneche.
Interim Parish President Steve Theriot says he is in the process of evaluating Wilkinson's situation, something he says he'll be doing for all of his employees.
