New Orleans weighs new Mardi Gras parade fee
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A new tiered fee is likely heading to Mardi Gras krewes for 2027. Photo: Michael DeMocker/Getty Images
The New Orleans City Council is considering updating its tiered fee structure for parading Carnival krewes.
Why it matters: The fee will help chip away at a gap between what the city spends on Mardi Gras and what it receives in tax revenue, Mayor Helena Moreno's administration says.
The intrigue: Carnival and city leadership have long said Mardi Gras-related fees are low because of the massive economic impact the festivities bring annually.
- But the authors of a 2024 Tulane study made a key distinction about that impact, The Times-Picayune reported: Not all of the city's portion of the tax revenue goes into City Hall coffers.
- Rather, it's split between multiple city agencies, which, after its contribution, left the city at a $3.75 million deficit in 2023.
What they're saying: The discovery was similar to a realization city officials had after Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" came to town.
- "We understand [Carnival is] the greatest free show on Earth," Councilman Freddie King said. "But we're trying to chip away a little bit at this deficit."
Between the lines: An ongoing fiscal crisis has the city of New Orleans looking at every line item on its budget, which is resulting in a raft of new fees, furloughs for city staffers and other cutbacks.
How it works: If approved by the full City Council, krewes will pay $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000 per parade, depending on their size, beginning in 2027.
- Those price points would replace the current fee structure ranging from $750 to $1,500.
- The city anticipates the new fees combining for $265,000 in revenue, which breaks down to about $6.64 per rider, according to a city presentation.
Flashback: The new tiered fee replaces initial proposals for per-rider and per-float fees considered earlier this year.
- Community feedback shifted that plan, city staff said.
What we're watching: The measure heads to the full council on Sept. 3.
- Before voting, Councilwoman Lesli Harris suggested the city should consider raising the fee annually.
- Councilman JP Morrell also plans a new ordinance looking at Mardi Gras fees more broadly, he said.