The New Orleans City Council unanimously agreed Thursday to a partial roll-forward of property tax millages.
The action will increase city revenue around $21 million. It does not completely cover the deficit, but reduces cuts in city spending from $77 million to around $56 million.
Council members all acknowledged that it is never a good time to ask residents to pay more in taxes, but also said they needed to balance that with delivering the basic services that voters demand.
"The hardest vote legislators can make is to raise revenue is to tax," New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell said. "It is literally the vote every legislator despises."
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno praised the council.
"I want to thank the City Council for its leadership in passing this modest, partial millage roll forward," the mayor said in a statement. "This is a responsible decision that will help us mitigate cuts to essential city services and move New Orleans closer to fiscal stability. This is a new era of collaboration between the Mayor’s Office and City Council, where we are willing to make tough decisions together to ensure reliable City services, improve quality of life, and continue attracting new investment by building confidence in our city government’s ability to deliver. Today’s vote is an important step toward restoring our long-term financial security."
The council must approve a budget by the end of the month.
