NEW ORLEANS, LA – At its regular meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, the City Council unanimously overruled Mayor LaToya Cantrell's veto of the 2026 Operating Budget of Expenditures and Revenues. The Council also voted to temporarily prohibit the expenditure of funds received from various revenue sources, including the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and others.

As part of the Special Orders of Business, the Council recognized military personnel in honor of Military Appreciation Day in New Orleans. The event began with a tribute to Colonel Terry Ebbert, a Vietnam War Marine who was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts. He later moved to New Orleans, where he helped establish the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, served as the City's Homeland Security Director, and played a key role in Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts.

The Council also heard from senior leaders from each service branch in the New Orleans area, including Lt. Gen. Len Anderson, Major Gen. Justin Swanson, Brig. Gen. John Plunkett, Capt. Andrew McGinly, Capt. Ulysses Mullins, Col. David Anderson, Capt. Greg Callaghan, as well as a former Marine Corps. Capt. Jackson Smith, who is now the CEO of Bastion.

Colonel Terry Ebbert (left image), Councilmembers Green and Harris with military personnel (top right), Mayor-elect Moreno with Colonel Ebbert (bottom right).

After the Executive Session ended, Councilmember Freddie King took a point of personal privilege to welcome Edna Karr High School to City Hall. He congratulated them on their Championship win over St. Augustine High School and presented them with a City Council proclamation. Edna Karr defeated St. Augustine on December 13, 2025, with a final score of 49-14.

Councilmembers with the Edna Karr High School football team.

Council Unanimously Overrules Mayor’s 2026 Budget Veto

The Council unanimously voted to overrule Mayor LaToya Cantrell's veto of the 2026 Operating Budget of Revenues (Ordinance No. 35,253) and the Operating Budget of Expenditures (Ordinance No. 35,254) for New Orleans. The Council explained its decision to overrule the veto by reaffirming that the City Charter requires that the Council pass a budget each year. With no alternative provided by the Mayor’s administration, the 2026 Proposed Budget that members of both administrations worked on was the sole path forward.

The Council reaffirmed its commitment to moving forward with this budget to mitigate, as much as possible, potentially devastating impacts on city services. Additionally, the Council reassured the public that it had done everything possible to keep essential services intact, ensuring no disruption to city services in 2026. All seven members of the Council co-authored the legislation.

Council Extends Pay Period for Metered Parking

The Council adopted Ordinance No. 35,303, as amended, extending the metered parking payment period from two hours to four hours. The amendment to this ordinance further specifies the bounding areas for different metered parking rates. 

The following street blocks will be $3 per hour:

• 0 block through 1800 block of Calliope Street
• 1900 block through 2900 block of Earhart Boulevard
• 100 block through 1000 block of South Claiborne Avenue
• 100 block of North Claiborne Avenue
• 1200 block through 1600 block of Iberville Street
• 200 block through 500 block of Basin Street
• 1100 block through 1300 block of Saint Peter Street
• 700 block through 1400 block of North Rampart Street
• 1700 block through 1800 block of Joseph Guillaume Place
• 1900 block through 2100 block of Saint Claude Avenue
• 400 block through 1000 block of Elysian Fields Avenue
• 2100 block of North Peters Street
• 900 block through 1300 block of North Peters Street
• 500 block through 900 block of Decatur Street
• 400 block of North Peters Street
• 100 block of Conti Street
• 300 block of North Front Street
• 200 block of Bienville Street
• 200 block of North Peters Street
• 0 block through 200 block of Iberville Street
• 100 block through 200 block of Badine Street East
• 100 block of Convention Center Boulevard
• 0 block through 100 block of Poydras Street
• 500 block through 1200 block of Convention Center Boulevard

Council Temporarily Prohibits Fund Spending

To respond to the current budget challenges facing New Orleans, the Council adopted Ordinance No. 35,324. This ordinance imposes a temporary spending freeze to address budget challenges facing New Orleans. From the ordinance’s effective date through January 12, 2026, city departments are prohibited from using current city funds or any newly received revenues, including funds from the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), ARPA, proceeds from the Wisner litigation, and any other new revenue sources recognized by the City Council as of December 1, 2025.

Council Approves DER Program

The Council adopted Resolution R-25-669, which approves and establishes a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) program. This three-year DER program, to be implemented under  Entergy New Orleans' (ENO) Energy Smart program, is in response to increased climate risks and grid reliability needs. This DER program is a $28 million investment that will place hundreds of solar-connected battery systems across the city to substantially improve grid reliability, sustainability, and community resilience, without placing additional costs on ratepayers.

The DER program was developed after Hurricane Ida exposed vulnerabilities in the electric grid and is the result of months of collaboration among city leaders, Entergy New Orleans, and community and energy advocates. Additionally, the program has a strong focus on equity. It will prioritize participation by lower-income households, small businesses, and community institutions that are disproportionately affected by outages and rising energy costs.

For more information, click here.

View the meeting agenda click here.

Watch the full meeting on YouTube: (Military Day / Part 1 / Part 2)