Bureau of Governmental Research Shines at National Conference: Three Awards for Governance Insights and Communication Excellence

By Biz New Orleans Staff

Source: Biz New Orleans

September 27, 2024

NEW ORLEANS (press release) — The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) won three awards from its peer organizations in the Governmental Research Association (GRA) at its national conference July 21-23 in Asheville, N.C.

BGR’s 2023 report calling for governance reforms for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) won the Most Distinguished Research Award for a Local Government Issue. The report, Waterworks in Progress: Reassessing the Sewerage & Water Board’s Governance Problems and Potential Paths to Long-Term Improvement, revealed the complex web of laws and policies that guide decision making for the utility. BGR showed how problems with the governance structure weaken its finances, its coordination with the City of New Orleans, and public accountability for both entities. The report called for a mayor-led study of two long-term reform options: (1) strengthening SWBNO as a stand-alone utility that operates separately from City government or (2) replacing it with a municipal utility that functions as part of City government. BGR also recommended several near-term solutions to improve financial sustainability, drainage system performance and SWBNO-City coordination, regardless of which reform option is ultimately chosen. Former BGR Research Analyst Jamie Parker led the research for this report.

In addition, BGR won two awards for communications. BGR Senior Research Analyst Susie Dudis led the research for both projects.

The association honored BGR’s Property Tax Dashboards with a Certificate of Merit for Best Digital Communication. The dashboards are an interactive, online tool for residents and businesses in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes to better understand their property tax rates, where the money goes, when each tax sunsets and how rates have changed over time. BGR accompanied the Property Tax Dashboards online guide to property taxes in Louisiana, which explains how tax bills are calculated and how rates are set.

BGR’s letter on strengthening the City of New Orleans’ primary financial reserve won a Certificate of Merit for Best Short-Form Writing. In May 2023, as the New Orleans City Council was poised to appropriate $73 million from the reserve, called the General Fund balance, BGR asked the mayor and the council to improve planning and public reporting for this important resource. BGR’s letter called for a comprehensive plan for fund balance use and preservation through 2025. It also called for the creation of a regularly updated public dashboard of General Fund balance activity. The City has since launched an online dashboard for General Fund balance projects and appropriations.

 “These awards recognize BGR’s high-quality research and efforts to communicate important public policy issues to the public,” said BGR President and CEO Rebecca Mowbray in a press release. “We thank the GRA and its member organizations nationwide for honoring our work, and BGR remains focused on improving government in the New Orleans area.”

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