MAYOR CANTRELL OFFERS RESIDENTS
UPDATE ON ADMINISTRATION’S FIRST YEAR
NEW ORLEANS -- Mayor LaToya Cantrell today provided New Orleans residents an overview for the administration’s work after one year in office.
This overview includes downloadable annual reports by City departments similar to those provided at the first quarter (or first 90 days) and six-month mark. It also offers a broad perspective on the work of an administration that sharply focuses on priorities and approaching issues with a simple, thematic approach.
Over the first year, the administration has focused heavily on four key priorities:
- Looking at public safety as public health
- Investing in infrastructure
- Spurring economic development
- Culture change at City Hall
“In Year One of the Cantrell administration we fought for our Fair Share -- and we won. We made the Sewerage and Water Board, infrastructure and public safety our priorities, and we marked the one-year point with a deal that puts over $200 million into infrastructure over the next five years,” said Mayor Cantrell. “In the year ahead: we have our sights set on cleaning up our City, on tackling the affordable housing crisis, and on strengthening our families. We’re not going to be told ‘it can’t be done,’ and we’re not going to stop moving New Orleans forward, together.”
Throughout the year, the administration met challenges with three ideas in mind, so that we:
- Evaluated the issues we inherited
- Engaged with the issues to find solutions
- Innovated as we take on these issues in Year 2
“Fair Share” was a crucial component of Year One. Working together with the Governor’s office, with members of the city’s legislative delegation, and with industry leaders— the administration kept its promise to the people of New Orleans and fought to ensure that the revenue generated by the people of New Orleans goes into addressing the urgent needs of the people of New Orleans. The recently announced agreement is a vital first step; while there’s more work to be done, this puts the City on a sustainable path to making infrastructure investments that support the basic needs of the City.
The accomplishments of the Cantrell administration’s first year are part of a continuum of work that leads to more opportunities in the second year, including a second phase of the “fair share” work, addressing the city’s affordable-housing crisis, and underscoring public safety with a focus on gun-violence reduction, domestic-violence reduction, and juvenile justice intervention.
Reports of each individual departments are available here.
Here is a summary accomplishments in the four main priorities, with links to additional data:
Public Health As Public Safety
The Cantrell administration spent the first year creating a more holistic approach that connected public safety to public health to protect residents and help them thrive. Examples can be found in new offices that sought to better coordinate work among different departments, such as the Office of Youth and Families and the Office of Transportation. Public safety highlights included a successful leadership transition at New Orleans Police Department. Overall crime rates are down, including murder (-47 percent), armed robberies (-28 percent), simple robberies (-21 percent) and shootings (-12 percent).
Also, the administration merged the 911 and 311 call centers to improve efficiency and allow 311 to be available 24/7. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HIGHLIGHTS.
Investing In Infrastructure
The culmination of negotiations that led to initial agreement of the “fair share” deal to reallocate tax dollars from tourism revenue is the capstone of a year of focusing on improving the city’s aging infrastructure, especially when it comes to water and sewerage. Other highlights include the better coordination between the Sewerage & Water Board and the Department of Public Works, the establishment of an Office of Utilities to better enforce utility franchise agreements, implementation of several capital projects, and improved sanitation work. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HIGHLIGHTS.
Economic Development
The Cantrell administration focused on equitable strategies to make New Orleans’ economy work for everyone, with the potential for greater job possibilities for residents with criminal records, improved receipts for minority- and women-owned businesses, greater economic mobility, and (most of all) improved housing options for our most vulnerable residents – a top priority in the second year. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HIGHLIGHTS.
Culture Change
The Cantrell administration began its work with the belief that government needs to work better for everyone. We have operated with the understanding that we need to be transparent and intentional about the culture change within City Hall. The goal is to nurture a more welcoming, inclusive workforce in serving our residents. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Year Two Priorities
What's next? Moving forward, the Cantrell administration will continue the work it started in the first year, keeping the momentum going, while putting an even sharper focus on the following challenges:
- Affordable housing
- Creating and sustaining affordable housing is an existential crisis that our city is facing
- Along with housing stakeholders, we are working together to combat our housing issues through the creation and preservation of affordable housing
- Our initiatives and policies are being put in place to positively impact everyone
- Ensuring the supply of new homes
- Preserving affordability
- Preventing displacement
- Safeguarding quality and accessibility
- Gun violence reduction
- Homicide clearance rates
- Harnessing the power of our academic institutions
- Coordinating City resources with nonprofit resources to conduct research on how to reduce gun violence with science and evidence
- Public Safety: Youth crime and curfew
- In effort to curb juvenile crime, NOPD will enforce the summer curfew laws to reduce vehicular burglaries and attach youth to social services
- Fair Share – Phase II
- When we talk about “Fair Share,” we’re talking about:
- Tax rededications
- Cash business audits
- Digital equity
- Transportation
- Green spaces and Parks
- Procurement and contracts
- Affordable housing
Heading into Year Two, Mayor Cantrell asks all New Orleanians: “What does ‘Fair Share’ look like to you?”
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