On Wednesday, March 11th, BGR hosted a Breakfast Briefing with New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno focused on her early priorities and the practical challenges of making city government work better for New Orleanians.
In conversation with BGR President and CEO Becky Mowbray, Mayor Moreno addressed the city’s financial pressures, recent water main breaks, the proposed sanitation fee, and other pressing issues facing City Hall.
The event was free and open to the public thanks to the generous sponsorship of First Horizon Bank. Scroll down to watch the full video, explore highlights from the conversation, and view photos from the event.
The discussion was also broadcast on WWNO and featured in nola.com, Gambit, and Biz New Orleans.
Video
Highlights
Below are key takeaways from the conversation, highlighting the issues and tradeoffs shaping the Mayor’s early agenda.
- (0:00) Welcome & event overview: BGR opens the Breakfast Briefing by framing the conversation around how city government is functioning and what challenges New Orleans is facing right now.
- (4:20) First 100 days as mayor: Mayor Moreno reflects on her early months in office, sharing where city operations have exceeded expectations and where long‑standing problems have proven harder to unwind.
- (7:20) City budget crisis and cash flow challenges: The mayor describes the city’s fragile financial position, including cash‑flow pressures and the difficult steps being taken to stabilize the budget.
- (10:50) Sanitation fees and revenue decisions: Mayor Moreno explains why she is proposing changes to the sanitation fee and why aligning fees with service costs has become unavoidable.
- (15:00) Police pensions and financial penalties: The discussion turns to disputed pension penalties, with the mayor outlining why the city is challenging millions of dollars in costs tied to police retirement rules.
- 23:30 – Permitting reform and city operations: Mayor Moreno addresses delays and dysfunction within the Department of Safety and Permits, pointing to management changes and overdue modernization efforts.
- (27:00) FEMA funding and infrastructure deadlines: The mayor discusses federal recovery funds, FEMA deadline challenges, and why short extensions complicate long‑term infrastructure planning.
- (30:30) Water main breaks and infrastructure investment: Recent water main failures prompt a deeper look at aging infrastructure, potential repair strategies, and the scale of investment required to prevent repeat problems.
- (38:00) Public safety, Mardi Gras, and SEAR 1 designation: Mayor Moreno explains how coordination with state and federal partners, including SEAR 1 designations, shaped security planning for Mardi Gras and other major events.
- (47:00) Economic development and growing New Orleans: The conversation broadens to economic growth, with a focus on entrepreneurship, regional collaboration, and attracting long‑term investment to the city.
- (59:15) Rebuilding trust in city government: In closing, Mayor Moreno emphasizes that rebuilding public trust depends less on messaging and more on consistent, visible results across city services.
Photos
About Our Speaker
Helena Moreno is the Mayor of New Orleans. She was elected in the 2025 primary after previously serving on the New Orleans City Council, including as Council President.
Before her time on the City Council, Moreno served in the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing District 93. Her public service has included work on issues related to city operations, infrastructure, public safety, and economic development.
Prior to entering public office, Moreno worked as an investigative reporter at WDSU‑TV in New Orleans and was part of an Emmy‑winning team for coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
Moreno was born in Xalapa, Mexico, and moved to the United States as a child. She holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University and lives in New Orleans with her husband.