The ongoing fight between Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the New Orleans City Council continues.
Now, the council is seeking to remove her communications director, Gregory Joseph, amid allegations that he violated state law by commissioning a political flier for the mayor and using city money to pay for it.
One analyst says the feud is getting out of control.
"It's really becoming a battle royale," UNO political science professor Ed Chervenak said.
According to Chervenak, the latest spat between the council and the mayor highlights a fundamental divide between the council and the mayor's administration. That rift, Chervenak says, will plague the city government until Mayor Cantrell's and the council's terms end in January 2026.
"It's hard to see how they are going to get along," Chervenak said. "They seem to have dug in their heels, and I don't expect the relationship to be repaired anytime soon."
In fact, Chervenak says it may take a new mayor and council to restore peace within the branches of New Orleans city government.
"When the mayor leaves and we have a new mayor, we'll have to see how the relationship between the new mayor and the council will play out," Chervenak said.
Despite it all, Chervenak believes New Orleans will survive this ongoing political feud.
"Certainly, there have been conflicts between legislative and executive branches throughout the republic's history, and we've been able to get through it," Chervenak said.
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