Just hours after the Bureau of Government Research issued a report calling for major changes at the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, Mayor LaToya Cantrell responds to that report.
The report, issued early Wednesday morning, calls on city leaders to demand that state lawmakers make reforms to the legislatively-created body or for city leaders to abandon the utility and create a new municipal utility system.
"The complex governance structure of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans – basically, the laws and policies that guide decision making for the utility – weakens its finances, its coordination with the City of New Orleans and public accountability for both entities," an overview of the BGR report said.
Mayor Cantrell told reporters on Wednesday that the report itself provided no surprises to her.
"They are pretty much saying exactly what the Sewerage and Water Board has been saying for years, which is that our governing structure is too complex," Cantrell said.
Cantrell also said that structure injects politics into the process of setting sewerage and water rates.
"The Sewerage and Water Board is committed consistently, especially under the Cantrell Administration, to improving our operations, especially as we continue to prepare for hurricane season and climate change."
Cantrell says making changes at the Sewerage and Water Board are a top priority for her administration.
"We are demonstrating that we are making more investments in our utility than we've seen in decades," Cantrell said. "I would say this is a once-in-a-lifetime investment that we will see, and we're wanting to make good on that and keep the progress and the work going. The commitment is there: rebuilding our infrastructure, cleaning out our drains, our canals, our drain lines, and doing proactive maintenance. This is something that will continue to be a priority for the utility moving forward."