New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell went to Baton Rouge today asking for more money to help with revenue shortfalls during the pandemic.
The meeting got heated at times during the discussion of federal dollars the state got to help cities.
Asked if she sees a light at the end of the tunnel to the city's budget crisis, Cantrell told legislators that was a question for them.
"I hope there is light. You all represent that light. We will see how bright it shines, is what I am trying to figure out," the mayor stressed. "We remain hopeful, but as we have been hopeful over the past several months, it hasn't come."
Cantrell told Democratic State Representative Rodney Lyons of Harvey that the lack of federal money from the state has forced her to take money away from some 5,000 city employees.
"I have had to move forward with furloughs because I can't run a city on hope," Cantrell said.
Cantrell faced push back from some lawmakers like Shreveport Republican Representative Raymond Crews critical of her more restrictive approach to COVID than the rest of the state.
"If you opened up more quickly, you might be able to recover some of that revenue within the city itself instead of relying so much on appropriations here," Crews insisted.
Cantrell responded, "We are relying on resources that were given to the state of Louisiana to help local municipalities with COVID-19."