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New Orleans council asks state auditor to investigate Cantrell's management of city finances

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  Published in Business and Finance on Wednesday, October 29th 2025 at 13:24 GMT by NOLA.com
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New Orleans City Council Tackles Looming Budget Deficit with a Mix of Austerity and Revenue‑Boosting Measures

The New Orleans City Council convened on Tuesday to confront a stark fiscal shortfall that threatens to undermine the city’s public‑service commitments for the 2024‑2025 budget cycle. According to the council’s publicly released draft budget, the city is projected to run a deficit of roughly $9.4 million over the next 12 months—an increase of more than 30 % from the $7.1 million shortfall that appeared in the last fiscal year’s report.

The council’s agenda focused on three core questions: 1) How can the city cover the gap without compromising essential services? 2) What revenue‑raising options are politically viable? 3) Which expenditure cuts can be made with minimal impact on residents and businesses? The meeting concluded with a resolution calling for a “full‑scale review of the city’s financial strategy,” a plan that will be presented to the public in a forum scheduled for next month.

1. Root Causes of the Deficit

The council’s analysis points to a combination of lower-than‑expected tax receipts and rising operating costs.
- Tax revenues fell 12 % in the first half of the fiscal year, largely due to a slump in hotel occupancy tax receipts following a sharp decline in tourism and a temporary shutdown of the city’s major convention center. The sales‑tax revenue also dipped by 4 % after a statewide tax‑holiday that spanned the holiday season.
- Operating expenses climbed 7 %, reflecting an increase in payroll costs for the city’s emergency services and a rise in the cost of contracted services such as waste management and public‑works maintenance.

In addition, a new $1.5 million grant that was earmarked for a community‑health initiative was reallocated to the city’s general fund in mid‑year, creating an unexpected expense stream that was not fully reflected in the budget projections.

2. The Council’s Proposed Path Forward

The council motion recommends a two‑pronged approach:
1. Revenue Enhancement
- Tourism‑Tax Adjustment: Propose a 0.5 % increase to the hotel‑occupancy tax, citing a forecast that tourism will recover to 80 % of pre‑pandemic levels by 2026.
- Special Assessment on Commercial Parking: Introduce a modest surcharge on high‑volume commercial parking in downtown districts, projected to raise $500,000 annually.
- Re‑evaluation of the Property‑Tax Cap: Discuss raising the property‑tax cap from 2.2 % to 2.5 % in high‑growth suburban precincts, a move that council members warn could spark a backlash among homeowners.

1. Cost‑Cutting Measures
   • Streamlined Public‑Works Projects: Postpone non‑essential infrastructure projects that are slated for completion in 2025, thereby saving $3.2 million in projected capital costs.
   • Employee‑Benefit Re‑Assessment: Conduct a thorough review of employee benefit plans, focusing on health‑care premiums and pension contributions, with the goal of reducing costs by $2.1 million over the next three years.
   • Vendor Consolidation: Consolidate existing service contracts, particularly for waste collection and street‑cleaning, to leverage bulk‑pricing savings estimated at $1.8 million.

The council also endorsed the mayor’s earlier proposal for a temporary municipal bond issuance of $15 million to cover immediate operational gaps, with the bonds to be repaid over a 10‑year period using projected tax increases.

3. Community and Political Reactions

Mayor Michelle Neely welcomed the council’s action, emphasizing the need for “responsible fiscal stewardship” while pledging that “essential services—fire, police, sanitation—will not be cut.” She highlighted the city’s $3.5 million emergency fund as a buffer that can absorb short‑term shocks.

Opposition came from Councilmember John A. “J.J.” Thompson of the 1st District, who argued that raising the hotel‑occupancy tax would hurt tourism recovery. “The last time we raised a tax, downtown hotels filled at record rates,” Thompson told reporters, citing a study from the Louisiana State University (LSU) Economics Department that suggests a 0.5 % hike could reduce hotel stays by 2 % in the short term.

On the other side, Neighborhood Association leaders expressed concern that the proposed property‑tax cap increase would burden low‑income homeowners in the 4th and 5th districts, which have already been hit hard by rising utility costs.

4. Follow‑Up Actions

The council scheduled a public hearing on March 12 to gather community input on the proposed tax adjustments. A task force, comprising finance, public‑works, and human‑resources officials, will present a detailed financial model by the end of April, outlining the projected impact of each measure on the city’s cash flow.

Meanwhile, the city’s Department of Finance released a “Fiscal Outlook Report” (link: https://www.nola.gov/finance/fiscal-outlook) that expands on the deficit’s drivers and explores alternative financing mechanisms, including a public‑private partnership (PPP) model for a new waterfront redevelopment project. The report, available for download, suggests that a PPP could inject $12 million in upfront capital while spreading maintenance costs over a 25‑year concession period.

5. Bottom Line

The 2024‑2025 budget deficit is a multifaceted challenge that will test New Orleans’ political will and fiscal acumen. While the council’s immediate measures—tax increases, expenditure cuts, and a bond issuance—may close the gap in the short term, the long‑term solution will likely hinge on a strategic mix of revenue diversification, public‑sector efficiency, and community‑level engagement. Residents and city officials alike will need to weigh the trade‑offs between growth and equity as they navigate this financial crossroads.