Republicans on the Louisiana Bond Commission voted to reconsider funding to some 16 projects in the city of New Orleans, but the man who made the motion says his motives were “mischaracterized.”
The governor’s administration doesn’t buy that.
A day after he led the charge to reconsider funding for some $27 million in projects around New Orleans, Louisiana State Representative Jerome “Zee” Zeringue told WWL Radio that it was mostly an issue of fiscal responsibility.
"Primarily it was associated with the concern that we have limited funding," Zeringue said.
He did not completely deny, however, that Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s policy requiring COVID vaccinations or negative tests to gain access to restaurants, bars, venues, gyms and some other businesses.
"I'm not dismissing the fact that there were issues and concerns regarding that policy," the Houma Republican said.
Governor John Bel Edwards Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne told WWL Radio it was political games.
“I think it was about sending a message, and that message got sent.”
Dardenne says the funding being held up is almost all for projects in the city of New Orleans.
"It does look like there was selective choosing of the projects that weren't going to be allowed to go forward."
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Zeringue said that is in part due to the fact that so much of the money up for approval is for New Orleans.
"Twenty-five percent of the new money... is going to Orleans," the representative explained.
He says the commission wanted to make sure that was the best use of money for all 64 parishes. Zeringue insisted he wants to make sure the money is being used the best way.
"If they can't expend these dollars within this fiscal year, then we possibly could fund another critical project. That's why these projects were pulled."
He did note that Orleans Parish provides the second most state revenue behind Jefferson Parish.
Dardenne said there is plenty of money to go around with a “windfall” from the federal government, and insisted there is no shortage of funds.
"The only people that are potentially being hurt here are business people," the commissioner of administration said. “They should get paid and not get caught up in some political games.”
He says nothing like this has ever been done before.
"This is the first time something like this has ever happened where the Bond Commission is basically saying, 'We're not going to fund a whole number of projects that are priority one re-authorizations.'"
Both agreed that the funding will be reconsidered at next month’s meeting.
Zeringue also noted that other projects in New Orleans were funded this week,
"Of the 22 projects that were considered for Orleans...
there are actually six projects that are getting funded," he told WWL. “Only 27 million dollar... were deferred for projects. So, it wasn't a majority of the dollars."
The representative also mentioned that a number of House of Representative members are not happy with the COVID policies in New Orleans.
"There's no doubt there are members in that body that are frustrated and raised issues because of the policy… There is a lot of angst and concern regarding those policies."