Instead of an $850-per-float fee, the New Orleans City Council has come up with a three-tiered fee structure to assess parade krewes in an effort to recoup some of the costs of Mardi Gras.
The council's Criminal Justice Committee put forward a plan that would have large krewes pay $10,000 for parade permits, medium-sized parades would pay $7,500, and small krewes would pay $5,000.
Large parades are ones with 37 to 45 pull units, medium is defined as having 28-36 pull units, and a small parade is 14 to 27 pull units.
The Moreno administration said that despite the economic impact generated by the carnival season, direct revenue to the city comes in a few million dollar short of what it costs the city in police overtime, sanitation, and other expenses related to hosting the celebration.
The new Carnival Gap Adjustment for Parades (GAP) fee would apply to parades starting Mardi Gras 2027 and last through 2031.
Administration officials says the revenue generated by the GAP fee would not cover the entire amount of the shortfall.
The city council could vote on the proposed fees as soon as Thursday.
