There’s a new mayor and lots of high hopes for many residents of New Orleans. However, there are worries about how impactful the Moreno incoming administration can be while inheriting a budget shortfall from the outgoing Cantrell administration. In order to fix infrastructure issues and keep city government running, New Orleans’ city government will have to borrow funds.
WWL’s Tommy Tucker spoke to New Orleans City Councilman JP Morrell about how the administration will need to navigate these choppy financial waters. “The thing is, we both have responsibility to the checking account, but only one person knows the balance. In this case, when the council kept asking if there was enough money in the account to pay the bills, (the mayor) said there was. But, basically there was more money being spent than we knew and now we have to get a payday loan,” Morrell emphasized.
Before any city or parish can borrow money to address ongoing issues, the mayor will have to approach the Bond Commission for permission to borrow the money necessary while remaining confident that the money being loaned can be paid back. With the Cantrell administration’s financial irresponsibility being well-documented, Morrell said candidly that the only reason he is confident the Bond Commission is willing to pass this potential bond is because that administration is outgoing and the Moreno administration is incoming.
“The reason this bond now has a chance of passing is because the Bond Commission has faith in the new direction of the city and has confidence that there is a competent person going into office that will right the ship,” the city councilman noted. “The mayor-elect’s past ability to keep her word as a former legislator along with the city going in a different direction with the budget next year also helped to reflect our financial realities,” he went on to say.
Ultimately, Morrell pointed to the fact that accountability and maintaining your word and reputation are paramount to being able to deal successfully in government. While the outgoing mayor’s word could be dubious at best, he believes Moreno’s time as a legislator and the reputation she earned will serve her well moving forward. “At the end of the day, if you maintain a stellar reputation as a legislator, even your opponents respect the fact that you won’t mislead them. That’s something that’s invaluable because elected officials can disagree. That’s fine. But, the only currency you have is your ability to keep your word and do what you say you’re going to do,” added Morrell. He added that there are no Democrats on the bond commission, so that reputation will mean everything in getting the city’s financial house in order.