🍁 It's Tuesday and the first day of fall. Someone please tell Mother Nature.

• The autumnal equinox is at 7:05 tonight. The days will keep getting shorter until the winter solstice in December. Go deeper.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny with a high of 92.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Katherine O'Hara!

🎧 Sounds like: "Autumn Leaves" by Keely Smith, Louis Prima and Sam Butera & The Witnesses.

Today's newsletter is 937 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Mayor Helena Moreno unveils her 2027 budget proposal today, which is expected to have at least $77 million in cuts.

Why it matters: The proposal will set up a debate over whether residents should pay more to restore some of the cuts.

The big picture: Moreno hasn't said what will be trimmed in the $760 million budget.

• She says there won't be employee furloughs, and she's focusing on keeping essential services intact.
• This year, many city employees are furloughed one day every pay period as part of the strategy to fill the $160 million hole.
• NORDC and the Council on Aging also won't be cut, Moreno says.

Yes, but: Today's budget proposal isn't final.

• "These are all just menu options," Moreno said in a social media video.
• Residents should view today as the "pregame" for the weeks-long budget process, Council President JP Morrell said in a social media video.
• "Are these cuts too much to bear or are we OK with those cuts?" Morrell says.
• Public feedback will help determine which cuts stick, and whether the council turns to property taxes or new fees to restore some services.

On the table: The sanitation rate hike, which starts next week, is one of several ways the city is trying to bring in more recurring revenue.

• Property taxes: The city is looking at increasing what homeowners pay, which could raise at least $20 million next year.
• Carnival fees: The council approved a new fee structure that's expected to raise $265,000 annually, starting next year.
• Permit fees: The council is considering increasing the rates for more than 100 types of permits.

What's next: City departments will spend the coming weeks discussing proposed budgets before the council.

• See the schedule and livestream.

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As national AI and political leaders worry publicly about the new tech killing us all, one New Orleans software developer is prioritizing supporting his staff's mental health.

Why it matters: AI has transformed Neel Sus' day-to-day work, and now he's putting his energy toward the 20 or so people who work for him — and hoping it'll make a difference.

State of play: AI use in small businesses is growing rapidly, the AP has reported, and it's also affecting mental health among those employees, Sus says.

• His business, Susco, builds custom software and supports AI-enablement to drive revenue rather than reduce workforce, Sus says.
• "I feel like we're on very firm ethical ground with our approach," he says. "But [some employees] do feel on a macro level that AI is bad."

Zoom in: To smooth those edges, Sus has offered additional mental health support to his team, a reaction he says was inspired in part by how COVID changed the social contract at work.

• He's also having a lot more one-on-ones to help staffers navigate admittedly bigger volumes of work that AI makes possible.

What he's saying: "One thing that is difficult that I do not know how to solve right now is [helping the people who] question the morality of doing AI," he says.

• "Some people are like, 'oh, wow, we're going to cure cancer in two years.' But on the flip side, maybe we're going to have Terminator."

The bottom line: "AI is here to stay," Sus says.

• And that means addressing a newly complicated workforce, too.

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🍸 The nine best bars in New Orleans right now include Latitude 29, NightBloom, Jewel of the South and Baroness on Baronne, Bon Appétit says. (Full list)

🪦 Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 will reopen for guided public tours in October for the first time since 2019. Reservations are now open. (Instagram)

🚧 St. Peter Street is fully open. It's been closed for months due to a Sewerage and Water Board project.

• Here's the latest update on the French Quarter construction.

🦟 Mosquitoes on the West Bank have tested positive for the West Nile virus, city officials say. No human cases have been reported in Orleans Parish this year, though.

It's fall migration in Louisiana, with all kinds of birds heading south for the winter.

🌼 Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated hummingbirds are on their way to Mexico and Central America, according to Hummingbird Central.

• September is considered peak hummingbird-watching season in Louisiana. Track their migration.
• You can support them by filling feeders with DIY nectar. Get the recipe.

🐛 Monarch butterflies: Their migration will pick up soon. Here's how you can help.

• Want to see them? Grand Isle State Park gets thousands every year, Travel Mag says.

🐦‍⬛ Birds: Millions are flying over Louisiana this week, with more expected as we approach the peak in October.

• They usually start migrating 30 minutes after sunset, with the most birds in air two to three hours later. Turn off exterior lights to help them get to their destinations safely.
• See the nightly migration forecast via BirdCast.org.

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🍎 Chelsea is reading Nikole Hannah-Jones' latest on public schools and thinking about kindergarten in a couple years.

👾 Carlie had fun celebrating her son's birthday with vintage pinball machines at Otherworlds' Arcade.

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Thanks to our editor Jen Burkett.