There’s a wave of change underway in New Orleans. Many citizens have said they can feel an almost palpable sense of hope as new mayor Helena Moreno takes over and a newly elected City Council looks to help implement change. UNO political scientist Ed Chervenak discussed the challenges facing Moreno and the newly elected City Council moving forward and says they have a daunting set of tasks ahead.
“When she becomes mayor, she owns every pothole in the city and people will be looking for improvements,” noted Chervenak, adding that the biggest pothole the new mayor faces is the city budget. “She inherited a $222 million deficit from the previous administration, so that means furloughs, layoffs, spending cuts, and eliminating programs. Those aren’t popular decisions, but those are decisions she’s going to have to make,” the UNO Professor went on to explain, adding that Moreno can point to the fact that she is taking office under abnormal circumstances.
While Moreno is taking office riding a wave of optimism from both citizens and politicians in New Orleans, Chervenak emphasizes that there will be a short honeymoon period with so many issues to be dealt with. “Most mayors tend to have a 3-6 month honeymoon … they take office and the public, media, and even political opponents tend to give them some extra good will.
This is also the point where the mayor has the most political capital,” Chervenak points out. “She’ll probably have an extended grace period where voters see whether she can deliver on her promises. Right now, she’s got political capital, she just needs to use it wisely,” he went on to add.
Chervenak was also quick to point to Moreno’s experience working with both Republicans and Democrats to get legislation passed in her previous role as a state legislator. That legislation helped to protect victims of domestic violence and exploitation, and he expects those partnerships to extend into the future. “She seems to have a fairly good working relationship with the governor as well, so we’ll see how that works out. If we know one thing, it’s that (Governor Landry) is not afraid to intervene and interfere in New Orleans politics,” noted the UNO Professor.