NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor LaToya Cantrell held a press conference to discuss her disapproval of Ordinance Cal. No. 33,625.
On April 26, Mayor Cantrell announced on social media, “for the first time in my tenure as Mayor to hereby veto the ordinance for the good of our City and the residents we serve.”
The Mayor’s full statement can be found here.
During the press conference on Tuesday, New Orleans Mayor Latoya pitched a new commission.
Cantrell said her plan will allow more people to have a say. Cantrell said she wants to create a “home rule charter commission” that would have monthly meetings around the city. During those meetings, the public could weigh in on or make suggestions for changing the city charter.
The plan follows a dust-up between the mayor and council over the confirmation of mayoral appointees. The council passed that plan. The mayor vetoed it and hopes both sides will agree to allow a new commission to look at those kinds of changes.
“This is always an opportunity when you’re engaged, to share, give information, but also to have a say in who we are and what we become as a government,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
If city leaders move forward with the commission the council would appoint three members and the mayor would appoint four. The remaining eight seats would be filled by people from New Orleans colleges and universities.
Council Vice President JP Morrell responded to the decision in a statement:
“On April 26, the Council received a letter from Mayor Cantrell vetoing Ordinance Cal. No. 33,625, which would empower the voters of New Orleans to decide whether the Council should be required to confirm certain high-ranking executive branch appointments.
The provisions for overriding a mayoral veto are set out in Section 3-113(3) of the Home Rule Charter. The Council must wait until its next regular meeting on May 5 to address the veto. At that meeting, or at the regular meeting on May 19, a two-thirds majority of the Council may vote to override the Mayor’s veto and approve Ordinance Cal. No. 33,625.”