New Orleans at-large candidates debate worker rights, city issues at forum

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — It’s a battle for the top two seats on the city council, and at Trinity Catholic Church Uptown, one of the questions was who would do more to help city employees. JP Morrell is the incumbent in division two.

“When we were together fighting for workers bill of rights and healthy workforce, you know who was there? You and I. You know who wasn’t there? These two guys,” Morrell said.

“I have been in the streets. I am not just showing up. Those of you who know me, know I have been in the streets,” division two candidate Gregory Manning said.

The third division two candidate Kenneth Cutno criticized Morrell.

He says many of the failures attributed to the Sewerage and Water Board can be traced back to poor cooperation from the council.

“We need a council person who is going to stop fighting everybody, stop fighting the mayor, and work together and start solving the problems,” Cutno said.

Candidate Matthew Hill, who is running for division one, that’s the race to replace Helena Moreno, says there is a different way to fix the sewerage and water board, and that’s to remove it altogether.

“It’s time to dissolve the board and move all operations under public works where we’d put drainage, pumping and streets together,” Hill said.

The other two division candidates were asked about short-term rentals and how they plan to tackle this ongoing problem.

“I’m going to advocate for maybe a higher wage for those who are doing the inspections so we can actually find the bad actors and weed them out,” division one candidate Delisha Boyd said.

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