Editorial: The Times-Picayune makes these recommendations on New Orleans ballot measures

By Staff editorial

Source: The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com

October 30, 2025

In addition to municipal runoff elections, New Orleans voters face several ballot questions when they return to the polls Nov. 15, with early voting starting Saturday and running through Nov. 8. The Times-Picayune makes the following recommendations.

City Infrastructure, Drainage and Stormwater Management and Affordable Housing Bond Propositions: Yes

By a wide margin on Oct. 11, New Orleanians elected Helena Moreno as their next mayor, in the hopes that she and a new City Council that’s still being chosen will be able to make tangible progress on the many challenges that plague the city, including infrastructure, drainage and housing. Three bond issues on the Nov. 15 ballot would give the city authority to borrow $510 million for these pressing priorities, to be paid for with a 14.5 mill tax already on the books that’s dedicated to paying off similar bonds.

The biggest ticket item, by far, is the $415 million infrastructure bond issue, which would finance everything from streets and bridges to recreation facilities to the rehab of long-dormant eyesores such as the old Lindy Boggs Medical Center on Bayou St. John. The city could also put this money toward technology improvements, heavy equipment and essential service vehicles.

The drainage bond issue would free up $50 million to pursue projects in flood-prone neighborhoods.

The $45 million housing bond issue has attracted the most controversy. The Bureau of Governmental Research argues that the city should find a more sustainable way to meet the investment mandate that voters approved a year ago; while BGR recommended yes votes on the infrastructure and drainage questions, it recommended a no vote on this one. And housing advocates who pursued the 2024 charter amendment worry that funding the mandatory 2% equivalent of the city general fund this way is too risky. 

We understand those arguments, but believe that on balance, voters at this juncture should give the city’s incoming leaders every available tool and as much maneuverability as possible to be successful. That’s particularly true now that we know the depth of the budget crisis that Moreno and the new council will inherit when they take office in January.

We also note that proceeds of these bond issues must be used on capital projects, not operating expenses, and that the current council has put into place some important oversight mechanisms to prevent any administration from redirecting this money for other purposes.

We urge New Orleans voters to support all three bond propositions.

City Attorney Charter amendment: Yes

This technical charter amendment would clarify that, while the city attorney is appointed by the mayor, the person in that role and the entire law department serve the whole city government; it would also add other ethical guidance. It’s aimed at averting periodic conflicts over the department’s role.

The city already moved in this direction when voters approved an earlier amendment giving the council approval authority over top mayoral appointments. The council can now ask nominees to affirm their understanding of the lawyer/client relationship in public hearings. Such statements are not binding, however. The amendment also allows the council to override a mayor’s termination of a city attorney, which would create an awkward situation but, in reality, is unlikely to happen.

We see some potential benefit — and no realistic harm — in clarifying this important government official’s role.

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