NEW ORLEANS - At today's regular meeting, the City Council adopted the City's 2019 Operating and Capital Budgets concluding the annual budget review process and establishing spending levels for the coming fiscal year. Prior to the meeting, the City held a Revenue Estimating Conference to update the 2019 revenue forecast and capture newly identified sources of revenue that would allow the City to fund the proposed amendments.

Since Mayor LaToya Cantrell appeared before the Council on Nov. 1 to present a proposed $698.1 million annual operating budget from the City's general fund, the Council has held an efficient and rigorous budget review process to learn the needs of each department and listen to residents' concerns. Under the leadership of District "D" Councilmember and Budget Committee Chair Jared C. Brossett, the Council held six days of hearings on the proposed 2019 Budget beginning Friday, Nov. 9 through Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. The amended operating budget total is $701.9 million, which represents an increase of $3.8 million.

"This $3.8 million is an important number," said Councilmember Brossett. "It represents the amendments proposed by City Council highlight the shared goals of both Council and the Cantrell Administration to ensure the residents of New Orleans have effective, efficient, and sustainable government services and programs that will improve their quality of life. Most importantly, there are key themes that emerge from these changes: increasing funding to the families and youth of New Orleans and prioritizing public safety initiatives."

2019 Budget highlights include new funding for the following:

• STEM NOLA -  $50,000
• Louisiana Center for Children's Rights - $250,000
• Evening Reporting Center - $110,000
• Children's Bureau - NOPD Crisis Management Partnership - $205,100
• Youth Intervention Center program - $150,000
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment program - $100,000

District "A" Councilmember Joe Giarrusso said, "I am proud of the way this Council and Administration have worked together to develop a budget that recognizes not only our priorities as a government but, more importantly, the priorities of the residents of New Orleans. Government's first job is to provide for public safety. This budget funds infrastructure improvements, the criminal justice system as a whole, and places a premium on children and their education."
 

The 2019 Budget also provides additional funding for various City initiatives and programs. Those include:
 

• Doubling funding to the Early Childhood Education program (bringing the allocation to $1.5 million)
• Department of Public Works for catch basin cleaning - (+$1,000,000 million)
• New Orleans Public Defender to maintain its budget despite decreased revenues (+$300,000)
• Additional DBE and Supplier Diversity compliance officers (+$254,764)
• New Orleans Adult Learning Center (+$577,100)

"This is a budget that prioritizes - not just by word, but by deed - the children of New Orleans," said Council Vice President Helena Moreno. "I want to commend my colleagues and the Administration for lifting up our kids. We must continue to focus on breaking poverty cycles and ending community disinvestment in order to promote equity, safety, and prosperity for all New Orleanians."

While the Council did adopt several significant changes to the Mayor's proposed 2019 Budget, significant pieces of her original budget will remain in place for 2019:
 

• Equitable pay raises for City employees
• Funding for the Sobering Center
• Funding to establish the Office of Youth and Families
• Funding for new initiatives: CleanUpNOLA, Cure Violence
• Commitment to the Capital Improvement Program for improved infrastructure

"This budget focuses on and funds the needs of New Orleanians across a broad spectrum," said Council President Jason Williams. "We're allocating monies to mental illness treatment through the courts and doubling our commitment to early childhood education. These investments and people-centered allocations will improve lives now and for generations to come."

"The approved budget reflects the priorities of the Administration, the Council, and I believe, the community," said District "C" Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer. "By reallocating monies to critical services and programs like the Fire and Police Departments, the Public Defenders Office and early childhood education, it shows we are taking the necessary steps toward building a stronger, safer and better place for all our residents. I commend Mayor Cantrell, CAO Montano and Budget Chair Brossett for taking the lead and producing a strong vision for our City."

For more information, or to view video coverage from today's budget adoption meeting, visit council.nola.gov.

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Contact:

Domonique Dickerson

Chief of Staff

Councilmember Jared C. Brossett, District "D"

504-658-1040

dcdickerson@nola.gov