Helena Moreno becomes New Orleans' next mayor today, and the new mayor is telling people that change won't happen immediately.
Click here to listen live to the inauguration...
Moreno calls it a "moment of optimism, energy and unity for New Orleans."
Related
However, just because Moreno now has the keys to the office, it doesn't mean all the city's problems are instantly solved.
"Is it going to be hard? It's going to be really hard. It's going to be really tough. I mean, I think people have to understand how bad things are. I mean they are very, very bad," Moreno said.
Moreno says the city's financial situation is horrible -- one of the consultants brought in for her transition says he's never seen a municipal deficit like it.
"And he's worked to get many other cities out of crisises," she said. "That's where we're at."
Moreno says she plans to keep the people informed of all the moves she's making, and keep them in the loop on all the city's news -- good and bad.
"When you don't give people information, that's when bad information starts to circulate, and it makes things overall worse," said Moreno.
The swearing-in ceremony is at 9 a.m.