Despite backlash, New Orleans Mayor Moreno urges council to pass trash fee increase

By Kaylee Poche

Source: Gambit

March 11, 2026

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno March 11 acknowledged that her push to have the city council raise the city’s sanitation fee isn’t a move that’s gaining her popularity but argued it’s a necessary step to shore up finances and the trash collection system.

“I hate doing that. Politically, it’s horrible,” she said, adding “I can’t even go on social media right now because people hate it so much.”

But the $24 a month residents have been paying since 2011 for trash pickup and curbside customer isn’t covering the cost of services, and given the dire straits of the city’s finances, Moreno said, it’s needed.

Moreno’s comments came during a wide-ranging breakfast address to the Bureau of Governmental Research that touched on a number of topics, including infrastructure problems, reforms to city permitting and other issues.

The city reduced trash pickup to once a week following Hurricane Ida in 2021 — a change that became permanent. Whether the city increases trash pickup to twice a week and keeps curbside recycling will determine how much the sanitation fee might be raised.

Moreno didn’t take a stance on which option she would prefer, seeming OK with leaving that politically difficult decision up to the council. Though she said she believed the council will maintain curbside recycling.

Currently, the city’s sanitation services cost $24 million more than it brings in from the fee.

“The norm … is that you match the fee to the services,” she said. “We have not done that. We need to move in that direction.”

Police retirement system

At the breakfast, Moreno also outlined her plan to work with state lawmakers to make changes to the Municipal Police Employee Retirement System. If successful, they could save the city $41 million.

First, they’re working to change a state law that fines local governments if they lose more than 50 officers in a year.

“The legislation passed says that they view you as then trying to defund the police department or dissolve the police department,” Moreno said.

New Orleans has not tried to defund the police, but during the pandemic, there were some years where the city lost more than 50 officers. As a result, the city has racked up more than $38 million in fines. The fees are so high that for some smaller governments, they’re more than their annual budget.

Paying the fines, Moreno said, would be a waste of money.

“I might as well light that $38 million and put it in a bucket and light it on fire,” she said. “I’m fighting tooth and nail not to pay this penalty.”

The administration is also challenging the retirement’s system stance that retention bonuses count toward officers’ pensions in hopes of avoiding paying $3 million on top on the recent $12 million in payments it gave officers for staying on the force.

Moreno said with “very aggressive moves” like these, she believes the city can get out of its financial crisis in 2027, which would be far sooner than the four years Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack predicted.

“The legislative auditor is shocked that we are moving this quickly,” she said.

Safety and Permits

Moreno also said she’d announce her new Department of Safety and Permits director on Monday, March 16. Verite News reported last month that her original pick abruptly backed out of the position.

She said her administration was working on improving processes in the famously slow-moving department, including who can sign which documents, and upgrading technology. She said she’s talked with other mayors about the potential use of AI for permitting.

“We are so behind on technology in the city of New Orleans. I’m telling you, we’re like ‘80s or ‘90s,” Moreno said. “We’re like on Windows 93 or something at this point.”

Infrastructure

The mayor told breakfast attendees that she’s been hearing the same refrain when it comes to recent water main breaks that have flooded neighborhoods, including homes and cars, in the city this year: “We have old pipes, and we don’t have any money.”

Sewerage & Water Board is working on procuring an “acoustic analysis” to look at pipes and determine problem areas by listening to where there’s extra hissing.

The next step is to get cost estimates for lining the pipes to make them stronger. Moreno said it will be expensive — lining one of the pipes could cost more than $40 million — but that she can ask state and federal lawmakers for help once she has a specific number.

Moreno is also working with Louisiana’s congressional members to get the feds to further extend the deadline for spending about half a billion in federal infrastructure dollars from this July until 2028.

Congress members are supportive, but FEMA officials keep saying they haven’t gotten the request, Moreno said. The agency is in turmoil amid a partial government shutdown.

“We are stuck in this black hole of FEMA right now with our extension request,” she said.

Public safety

Moreno once again stressed the importance of the city continuing to support nonprofits on the ground aimed at preventing violence and the need for constant outreach to recruit police officers.

The city is also trying out using drones to improve police response times, sending drones out to areas where an incident is reported to 911 to begin recording.

A pilot program will start in the French Quarter and then New Orleans East, Moreno said.

Jefferson Parish also uses drones to respond to 911 calls.

Moreno said she doesn’t see the drones as increased surveillance in the city since they only record once they get to the scene.

Airport

Moreno said that Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport leadership recently submitted a 20-year master plan for the airport to the Federal Aviation Commission, which includes 60 gates, three terminals, three parking garages and new roads to meet increased demand.

“We’re just on the cusp of becoming a major airport here,” she said.

Moreno said originally airport leaders were going to wait for the plan to be approved before putting out a news release. But she decided to meet with other parish presidents in the region to garner support for the plan. Having everyone in the same room ending up making news in and of itself.

Moreno said the city needs to aim big, including when it comes to trying to attract investors, and tell its success stories.

“We have to stop counting ourselves out,” she said.