The New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission is asking the City Council to look into claims that Mayor LaToya Cantrell is living for free in a city-owned apartment in the Upper Pontalba building on Jackson Square.
Related
According to the MCC, witnesses say Cantrell has been staying overnight in the apartment, receiving packages there and even put up privacy screens on the balcony.
According to WWL-TV, a public records request shows no one has paid the $2,991-a-month rent on the place from September 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022. The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate reports emails show the mayor involved in maintenance requests for the apartment going back to January.
The crime commission is asking the city council to determine if Cantrell is living in the city-owned unit; if so, how long; and is she paying rent.
In a response, the mayor's office said there is "no obligation" for Cantrell to pay the rent.
"The mayor's usage of the city owned apartment at the Pontalba is consistent with the usage of past mayors," spokesman Gregory Joseph told NOLA.com. "According to the French Market Corporation, who are the owners of the building, this and past mayors are under no obligation to pay for using the apartment."