June 1, 2026 | From City of New Orleans
City of New Orleans Notes Key Legislative Progress on Public Safety, Fiscal Stability, and Quality of Life Measures
NEW ORLEANS – In less than 140 days, the Moreno Administration crafted and managed the successful passage of a suite of legislative victories addressing key priorities of the people of New Orleans, notching victories on public safety, quality of life, and fiscal stability.
“We work with urgency to solve longstanding problems, which is why we made the historic move to begin taking local control of the Sewerage and Water Board,” said Mayor Helena Moreno. “This legislation along with the other bills in the city’s package focused on city services, fiscal matters, quality of life and increased economic opportunities. The success is the result of a team effort with the City Council, my staff and department heads who were constantly present during the session advocating for these bills. I want to thank the New Orleans delegation for their diligent work and commitment to help improve our city and state.”
This collaborative endeavor netted big wins for The City of New Orleans by saving $30 million dollars in spending, adding millions to the city’s coffers supporting our fiscal health and quality of life with economic development wins for the Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) and bolstering development in The West End.
Below are highlights of our state delegation’s legislative wins:
- SWBNO Reform and Local Control: (HB 573) Authorizes the City Council of New Orleans to have broad and comprehensive local control over the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans to ensure there are better outcomes for residents across the city
- MPERS Reform and Relief: Elimination of fines and certain payments (HB 45 and HB 1237) which combined will create savings for the city of more than $40 million
- West End Redevelopment: (HB892) Establishes a Jefferson-Orleans partnership to develop and activate a long-dormant commercial area at the Lake with benefits for people across parish lines.
- 911 Fees: (HB463) Increase the E911 user fee to reduce subsidy needs for dispatch and OPCD operations to reduce local budget burden
- Enhanced Delivery Services Throughout Downtown, the French Quarter and Riverfront: (SR136) Study to analyze existing political subdivisions with jurisdictional authority along the riverfront, to recommend options for future consolidation
- Innovation and Solution-Oriented Procurement: (SB384) Enables the City or political subdivisions to encourage economic growth and innovation that addresses public goods issues by creating a narrow demand-side, sole-source contracting clause
- Historic Demolition Deterrence: (HB386) Increase maximum fines from $25,000 to $50,000 for illegal demolition or historic district violations enforced by HDLC to strengthen deterrence
- Infrastructure Fire Safety: (HB864) Create a criminal offense and/or remove processes for flammable materials and open flames under elevated roadways to reduce fire risk and infrastructure damage
- Orleans Parish Tax Collection Loophole: (HB795) Closes loopholes and prevents recurrence of unlawful tax collection fee deduction and requires formal intergovernmental agreements and transparent cost allocation; filed and led to generational settlement with OPSB
- Capital Outlay HB 2: Orleans Parish legislators were able to secure millions of dollars in Capital Outlay funds for important projects including Lincoln Beach, the Municipal Auditorium, improvements to the Monticello Canal, SWBNO water treatment plant and water complex including:
- Lincoln Beach: $5,500,000
- Municipal Auditorium: $16,000,000
- NOFD 8th District Fire Station: $6,750,000
- Planning for a New City Hall: $2,000,000
- Monticello Canal: $9,000,000
- SWBNO Water Treatment Plants: $14,000,000
This work was brought to fruition through tireless efforts by Mayor Moreno’s Administration within the first 150 days. Once Mayor Moreno was sworn into office, the Administration quickly developed an agenda and worked closely with the Orleans Delegation to file legislative instruments and find solutions. This was followed by a historic New Orleans delegation legislative roundtable that hadn’t convened in years, legislative meetings in Baton Rouge throughout the session, and the rebirth of New Orleans Day at the Capitol.
“Authorizing the New Orleans City Council to have comprehensive local control over SWBNO will not only enable better outcomes for residents across the city, but also provides for accountability and transparency,” said District 94 Rep. Stephanie Hilferty (R.) “For far too long, the structure of SWBNO has not served the city of New Orleans or its residents. Now we can deal with problems and solve them.”
“Bringing home tangible results for New Orleanians from economic development to infrastructure and public services was a collaborative effort of our legislative delegation, Mayor Moreno’s Administration, City Council members, and community leaders,” Senate District 4 State Senator Jimmy Harris (D) said. “I am pleased that our coordination garnered benefits for the city and look forward to tirelessly restoring the losses for even wider impact across our area.”
The 2026 Legislative Session was challenging,” said District 98 Representative, Aimee Adatto Freeman (D.) “Our Orleans delegation stood together and fought against the bills reducing representation in our city. We worked diligently to support Mayor Moreno’s vision for our city. Thank you to everyone who showed up to the Capitol and supported our failures and successes. Please keep coming to support our work for New Orleans.
“Although we must continue to fight for fair representation for all New Orleanians in an increasingly difficult Baton Rouge, we were able to deliver real results in infrastructure fire safety with HB864,” said District 93 State Rep. Alonzo Knox (D.) “We must do more to keep one another safe and this bill is a great step in the right direction.”
“The loss of Section 2 protections of the Voting Rights Act, the subsequent loss of the second majority-Black congressional district, the consolidation of the Orleans Clerk of Court, and the reduction of judgeships throughout the city were significant setbacks,” said District 23 State Rep. Shaun Mena (D.) “Despite these challenges, the New Orleans delegation delivered on the mayor’s legislative package that will help to right the budget, improve Sewerage and Water Board governance, and bring about innovative solutions to long-standing problems. I commend my colleagues for their dedication to the people of New Orleans and look forward to continuing to serve alongside these remarkable legislators.”
“The City of New Orleans secured several major victories during the 2026 Legislative Session, but I am especially encouraged by the passage of HB 1243 by Representative Stephanie Hilferty,” said At-Large City Councilman and President J.P. Morrell. “This legislation gives the City greater authority over our local water system and eliminates the need to wait months for the Legislature to reconvene before addressing chronic issues at the Sewerage & Water Board. With HB 1243 in place, we will be able to respond more quickly, increase transparency, strengthen accountability, and deliver better outcomes for ratepayers. This is a transformative step forward in how the City works with SWBNO, and ultimately, it is a win for the people of New Orleans.”
“The Orleans Delegation had a strong session, advancing legislation that strengthens public safety, invests in infrastructure, and protects our neighborhoods,” said At-Large City Councilman Matthew Willard. “These measures will have a lasting impact on New Orleans. I was especially proud to work with Rep. Freeman on HB 368, which increases penalties for, and allows the city to enforce rules against, illegal demolitions of historic properties.”
“Building on the vision and priorities of the Moreno Administration and this City Council, our state delegation worked diligently to ensure wins for the people of New Orleans,” said District A City Councilmember Aimee McCarron. “From economic development and neighborhood investment to infrastructure and public services, the advancements achieved this legislative session reflect the value of collaboration at every level of government. I'm especially encouraged by the favorable passage of HB 1243, which will give the City Council the opportunity to strengthen oversight of the Sewerage and Water Board, as well as HB 892 to advance redevelopment efforts in the West End area. I'm grateful to the members of the Orleans delegation for their partnership and their dedication to our residents.”
“This session felt like a relentless assault on New Orleans, but I am proud of how our delegation rose to meet it with courage and unity,” said District B City Councilmember Lesli Harris. “Despite facing uphill battle after uphill battle, they fought to reduce harm at every turn and secured real wins for the people of this city. I want to especially commend Senators Gary Carter and Royce Duplessis and Representatives Delisha Boyd and Candace Newell for their fierce advocacy in the Senate and House Committees on Governmental Affairs both on redistricting and in pushing back against legislation that will harm our clerks and courts.”
“I congratulate the City of New Orleans and our legislative delegation for their work during this year’s session,” said District C City Councilmember Freddie King, III. “While significant challenges remain for our state, New Orleans continues to demonstrate the importance of strong local leadership and sustained engagement in shaping Louisiana’s future. I look forward to continued collaboration that delivers meaningful progress for the people of our city and state.”
“The collaborative work of the Moreno Administration, the City Council, our legislative delegation, and community stakeholders resulted in meaningful accomplishments during this legislative session that will benefit the residents of this city for years to come,” said District D City Councilmember Eugene Green. “As a result of setting a realistic, service-oriented agenda, the Administration and the City Council were able to secure successes in a number of areas, including Sewerage and Water Board reform, saving local taxpayers millions of dollars through reforms to the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System (MPERS), enhancing the long-term stability of the Orleans Parish Communications District funding stream, strengthening public safety protections, promoting innovation in government procurement, and increasing transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.”