NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— Mayor LaToya Cantrell is taking issue with New Orleans being called the murder capital of the world.

According to Cantrell, “I do not accept the title of this city being the murder capital of the world. I do not embrace that at all.

In spite of 205 murders this year, the mayor is pushing back on that title. In recent weeks, a number of national publications and shows have cited the city’s violent crime problem.

Cantrell appeared at a ribbon cutting for a completed roadwork project in the 9th Ward, and thanked residents for their patience.

The mayor also addressed the recall effort against her and the more recent recall the recall effort in support of her saying, “I am not intimately involved in any of the efforts. I’m focused on doing the work and doing the job. What I’ve experienced personally across the city is nothing but love, nothing but support.”

Cantrell then addressed efforts by some council members to dock her pay to reimburse the city for luxury travel expenses.

“It’s very dangerous when you start to talk about docking peoples wages based on the work that they do and clearly that I’ve done and I’ll continue to meet my personal needs, relative to keeping me sane, keeping me with a peace of mind and my ability to do this work,” said Cantrell.

Late Tuesday, City Attorney issued the following memo supporting the council members’ claim that the mayor is an employee of the city and subject to the policies of all employees: