NEW ORLEANS - Today, the Council completed votes to deny the final four remaining tax exemptions requested by Folgers. Last month, the Council voted to deny two others, meaning all six requested are now rejected. The Orleans Parish School Board also voted against all six applications last month. 

NEW ORLEANS - Council President Helena Moreno has issued the following statement in reaction to the Council's vote to deny two of Folgers’ ITEP applications and defer four to the January meeting. Moreno authored resolutions to deny all six applications to prioritize money going to public safety instead of a tax break to an $8B corporation.  

NEW ORLEANS – Today, Council Utilities Chair Helena Moreno announced new results from an ongoing, multi-year effort to build local capacity for utility regulation and reduced reliance on outside advisors.

For years, the public and advocacy groups have pushed to reduce the amount of ratepayer money paid to outside advisors to regulate Entergy New Orleans, but no cost-cutting measures were implemented until Councilmember Moreno authored sweeping changes for oversight and payment.

NEW ORLEANS – Councilmember Helena Moreno has introduced legislation to prohibit discrimination in the workplace, in housing and public accommodations based on the way Black women choose to wear their hair. According to recent national studies, Black women are 50% more likely to be discriminated against or lose their jobs due to simply the style of their hair, whether it be natural, braids or other choices.

NEW ORLEANS - Today, Councilmember Moreno applauded the inclusion of a number of critical advancements in the 2021 City Budget. Despite facing significant headwinds due to revenue losses from the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Council approved critical equity and economic justice priorities in the budget. These include an initial investment of $3m in the build-out of public internet access, funding a public-facing NOPD officer accountability dashboard, and a resolution protecting city workers making under $35k from wage loss due to furloughs.