New Orleans city departments talk budget impact due to cuts

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Every city department in New Orleans must find ways to cut 30 percent of its budget.

“At the end of the day, the city is now facing a budget crisis where every dollar counts,” said Councilman Eugene Green.

With a $160 million deficit hanging over the heads of New Orleans officials, city leaders say the 30% cut to next year’s budget will be devastating.

Office of Youth and Families officials said the majority of their contracts that help local kids will cease at the end of the year, something residents are not happy about.

“That is how we make these children better candidates for successful lives. But when we do not increase the funding for that, we only make them a candidate for their building on Tulane and Broad,” said New Orleans resident Nate Bryant.

“We originally used to do, $100,000. And then this year it went down to 25. And with our current state, it’s sitting at zero,” said Director of the Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families Asya M. Howlette.

Another department, the Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, helps with many aspects of local law enforcement.

They’re currently working to reduce the number of prisoners at the Orleans Justice Center by transferring already convicted inmates to the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

It costs about $130 a day to house an inmate.

“We are in the business right now. We’re trying to find every dollar that we can. If somebody has been convicted and they’re supposed to be outside of the Orleans Justice Center, they should be,” Green said.

“What the sheriff can do is to make sure the Department of Corrections is notified that this person has been convicted, is ready to go,” said Criminal Justice Commissioner Tenisha Stevens.

While other departments expressed how the 30% cut would affect their programs, officials with the Department of Homeland Security say they’ll find a way to get by with less money as long as positions are not eliminated.

“I can’t in good faith tell you that any more people, that losing any more people is going to be, you know, we’re going to have a level of ability and readiness, particularly for activating the emergency operations center,” said Director of Homeland Security for the City of New Orleans Collin Arnold.

Budget hearing picks back up tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. with the Departments of Safety and Permits and Code Enforcement.

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