Proposed Budget Hearings (Day 6)

New Orleans City Council 2027 proposed budget hearing, Day 6 (October 20, 2026), covered Safety and Permits, Code Enforcement, and Sanitation. The administration described an overall 8.5% reduction target. Safety and Permits proposed about $900,000 in general-fund personnel reductions and $120,000 in non-general-fund cuts, primarily through vacancies; council members requested a position-by-position revenue/cost analysis and data on enforcement, fees, and department restructuring. A $280,000 line item is intended for a new short-term-rental compliance software platform under an RFP. Code Enforcement reported a $100,000 state allocation for lot abatement; an ITB is being routed because the prospective vendor sought a pricing change, and no vendor has been selected. The department also reported a one-time $1.5 million draw from the interim STR fund for the DeGaulle Manor payment. Council members requested updates on the ITB, property adjudication and sales, and revenue recovery; a 30-day analysis of properties without power and water was proposed.