New Orleans Council Moves to Take Control of Sewerage and Water Board

Overview

• A City Council subcommittee on Thursday approved ordinances that implement a state law taking effect August 1 and shift substantial budget, rate and contract authority over the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans to the council.
• The measures require SWBNO to deliver an annual emergency preparedness plan, a five-year capital improvement plan, and to meet new budget submission deadlines set for November 15 this year and October 1 starting in 2027.
• The ordinances restructure the governing board to include the mayor, the Council Public Works chair, two Board of Liquidation members, and seven citizens and give the council power to confirm certain executive hires and approve specified legal, consulting and lobbying contracts.
• Council members requested a special audit from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor and ordered a staffing review to see if the executive director and superintendent roles overlap, a move that led to a heated committee exchange and a public defense by Executive Director Randy Hayman.
• Officials say chronic pipe failures, flooding, high bills and slow repairs prompted the overhaul and the change could reshape rate-setting, capital spending and hiring while Mayor Helena Moreno prepares a voter-facing charter amendment to make the governance shift more permanent.