Effective Saturday (August 1), the New Orleans City Council will get expanded control over the Sewerage and Water Board, taking that control from the Louisiana state government.
So, exactly what powers will the city gain?
"This will include that we will have a streamlined selection for approvals," New Orleans City Councilmember Aimee McCarron said. "This will allow us to regulate professional service contract approvals, financial obligations, rates, fees, budgets, capital improvement plans. They will report directly to us their budget just like they do with any other inside department or outside agency. We will have oversight of them and be able to hold them accountable finally."
McCarron told WWL's Tommy Tucker that the increased city oversight will bring a new level of transparency to the Sewerage and Water Board's operations.
"There's not been any one agency that's been holding them accountable. It's been kind of: (is it a) state, is it a city, is it a board thing? It was neither of those things," McCarron said. "Whenever you have a structure like that, there's nobody to hold them accountable and make sure everything is transparent--until now."
The New Orleans City Council will meet tomorrow (Thursday, July 30) to discuss its new Sewerage and Water Board oversight responsibilities.
