Overflowing trash cans, shelter cuts and other budget concerns
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Sanitation workers advocated for their jobs Monday during the budget hearing. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
New Orleans politics continues to pop off. Here's the 2-minute catchup.
Why it matters: City leaders are debating cuts that could change everything from how often public trash cans get emptied to who pays for Mardi Gras.
🚮 Budget cut you'll smell: The sanitation department would lay off 37 people under the proposed budget.
- Those workers empty hundreds of public trash cans, remove illegal dumping and respond to other cleanup needs across the city, director Matt Torri told the council Monday.
- The layoffs will likely lead to overflowing trash cans at parks and in other public spaces, council members said Monday. They won't affect curbside pickups, which come from a different pot of money.
- Several members said the layoffs are a nonstarter, and the city needs to find the $2.1 million in cuts elsewhere.
🤑 Broken Mardi Gras model: Hosting the largest free party on Earth costs New Orleans more than it brings into city coffers, chief administrative officer Joe Giarrusso says.
- Last year, there was a gap of about $4 million, he says.
- The proposed budget includes a $1.8 million cut for parade cleanup efforts, which Councilmember Matthew Willard says is a "nonstarter unless you want to talk about not having Mardi Gras, which is also a nonstarter."
- Going forward, the city needs to figure out how to get visitors to shoulder more of the financial burden, Councilmember Jason Hughes says.
🛌 Homeless shelter: The roughly $5 million cut to the low-barrier homeless shelter drew protesters and packed council chambers earlier this month.
- Without the funding, the shelter could close and about 300 people would be displaced, says Jennifer Avegno, the deputy mayor of health and human services.
- "The low barrier shelter cannot be on the table for a budget cut," says budget chair Lesli Harris, who outlined three ways to fund it.
🚕 Waymo regulations: Council President JP Morrell put forth the city's first ordinance to regulate autonomous vehicles like Waymo. Read it.
- The council will discuss the proposal in detail next week.
- The robotaxi company has been testing vehicles in New Orleans for more than a year but needs the law to change before it can operate without human drivers.
👥 Population watch: The city has a new office to plan and respond to population changes.
- The director is also responsible for ensuring the 2030 U.S. census accurately reflects the city's population. See Tuesday's presentation.
What's next: The city's budget hearings continue through the end of the month. See the schedule.