After weeks of argument, today the full New Orleans City Council is scheduled to debate a proposal that would withhold discretionary funds from four embattled city departments over performance complaints.
Should the proposal be approved by the Council, 12 million dollars in funding for Public Works, Safety and Permits, the Planning Commission, and the Law Department would be held back. This comes as those departments have come under fire for poor communication with the public, and slow progress on projects like city-wide road repairs that have crippled many neighborhoods.
Council President Helena Moreno, Council VP JP Morrell, and Councilman for District A Joe Giarrusso are publicly in support of the move. Morrell and Giarrusso have appeared on WWL several times in the past few weeks to discuss the matter, most recently this week. A call to Giarrusso's office confirmed the matter will be taken up at today's meeting.
The Cantrell Administration opposes the move, signaling a potential veto should the proposal pass. The city’s CAO spoke with WWL’s Dave Cohen about their opposition, saying they’re working to improve performance in these departments, but restricting those funds could make matters worse.
Last month irate New Orleans residents flocked to the Council Chamber to voice their frustration with these departments, namely public works, but also the Sewage and Water Board, a quasi state entity.
