Mayor Helena Moreno mostly quiet about broader vision for S&WB as agency faces turning point

By Ben Myers

Source: The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com

January 21, 2026

As she led her first meeting of New Orleans’ Sewerage and Water Board, Mayor Helena Moreno on Wednesday remained mostly tight-lipped about her plans for the agency, which will face major funding challenges in Moreno’s first year in office.

The mayor serves as president of the S&WB, a role that Moreno’s predecessor, former Mayor LaToya Cantrell, embraced by regularly appearing at meetings and commenting publicly on various matters affecting the utility. Other mayors have delegated that responsibility, and Moreno on Wednesday said her deputy chief administrative officer for infrastructure, Steve Nelson, would fill in for her when she’s not available.

It wasn’t clear how often Nelson is expected to attend, or how much influence he will exert over the agency’s governance and operations. A staffer said Moreno was not available to speak after the meeting, and the mayor’s press office did not immediately respond to questions on Wednesday.

While campaigning last year, Moreno said the mayor should set forth an overall vision for the S&WB while largely staying out of board decisions and day-to-day operations. The S&WB is a state-created entity with a governing board that is primarily appointed by the mayor but technically independent.

The board and City Hall have a complex financial relationship, and Moreno said in an interview last year that simultaneously serving as City Hall’s chief executive and S&WB’s board president puts the mayor in “a very tricky spot.”

Moreno did not let on much about her vision in her first meeting, telling board members that she looks forward “to some good work.”

“I know that it’s certainly a difficult task that you all have before you, and so I very much appreciate the work that you do,” Moreno said in brief remarks.

Nelson, who doubles as City Hall’s public works director, served as the S&WB general superintendent before joining Moreno’s administration. Nelson sought the S&WB executive director position when it became open last year, but Cantrell and the S&WB board hired Randy Hayman from the top post at the Philadelphia Water Department following a national search.

Moreno said in the interview last year she would have preferred that an interim leader fill the role until a new administration is in place, but that she would give Hayman a chance to succeed.

Turning point
The S&WB is at a turning point, with a drainage tax up for renewal before the end of the year and utility officials worried voters will reject it. That would wipe out more than a quarter of the S&WB’s annual drainage revenue of roughly $77 million, which officials say is already woefully inadequate for the needs of the aging system.

For years, the S&WB has said it plans to propose a new stormwater fee to ensure tax-exempt property owners kick in for drainage along with those who pay property taxes. Tax-exempt properties make up nearly 40% of the city’s combined property value, according to the nonprofit good government watchdog, the Bureau of Governmental Research.

But any stormwater fee proposal will face complicated practical and legal questions, and the S&WB has been vague about when it will come. Rolling it out for City Council and voter approval could take the better part of a year, potentially pushing any adoption into next year, after voters decide the fate of the drainage tax. Moreno has said she supports a fee, if the council can sign off on the S&WB’s requests to spend it — scrutiny she’s said will help rebuild the public’s trust in the agency.

The S&WB is also struggling to meet its goals for cleaning catch basins and small drain pipes, a mandate it took over last year from the city’s public works department. Utility officials say they received less than half the $19 million they were promised to do the work, and that their ability to complete the work this year will depend on funding.

The Moreno administration has not said what money, if any, City Hall will provide for catch basins this year. The administration is also counting on $29.5 million in payments from the S&WB to balance the 2026 general fund budget.

More plans could crystallize later
Those topics didn’t come up at Wednesday’s meeting, which was held in the Sewerage and Water Board’s offices. Moreno said on the campaign trail that she wanted to move S&WB meetings to City Council chambers for greater public access.

While addressing staff and board members, Moreno encouraged Hayman to proactively inform the public about neighborhood “strike teams” he is setting up to respond to resident complaints about debris left by contractors.

“As a former council member, we would get these types of complaints all the time. And so to show this type of proactive approach that you all are now creating … I think that could be a nice win,” Moreno said.

Hayman replied that the S&WB website would provide more information about how residents can contact the strike teams.

The S&WB is governed by an 11-person board, including the mayor and a representative of the City Council. Nine members are appointed by the mayor with the help of a selection subcommittee made up of university presidents and civic organizations.

The board structure has come up in recent state legislative sessions, though proposals to add more state appointees have flopped. Moreno said last year she is open to new ideas for changing the board, so long as it remains in city control. S&WB-related legislation is typically included in the city’s legislative agenda, which the administration hasn’t yet released. The session begins on March 9.