Top New Orleans official resigns

The big picture: Montaño, the city's chief administrative officer, will step down at the end of August, Cantrell said Wednesday at a press conference announcing his resignation.

• Joseph Threat, the city's deputy CAO for infrastructure, will be the new CAO, she said.
• LaNitrah Hasan has been promoted to fill Threat's former role.

The intrigue: Montaño didn't share what's next, only that he's taking a break and will announce his new job later.

• He's held the CAO role since Cantrell appointed him in 2018 during her first term. Before that, he was a deputy CAO in Albuquerque.

Zoom out: Montaño has been a high-profile leader in the administration, frequently appearing by Cantrell's side or serving as her surrogate at events.

• He manages the daily operations of nearly all city departments. See the organization chart.

• He also has been the key liaison with the City Council, especially on the annual budget.

The friction point: Montaño's authority was at the center of the disagreement over the city's now-scuttled settlement with the Orleans Parish School Board.

• He also was implicated in a political scandal last year, according to Fox 8, but hasn't been formally accused of anything.

What's next: Montaño says he'll spend the next few weeks working with Threat during the transition period.

Go deeper: What's new with the mayor's race