Helena Moreno was sworn in as the 63rd mayor of New Orleans on Monday at a star-studded inauguration ceremony that featured performances from beloved local musicians and cameos from former Vice President Kamala Harris and musician Lenny Kravitz.
But when the fun at the Saenger Theatre was all said and done, Moreno made her way to City Hall and got down to business, signing 13 executive orders laying out her administration’s structure and priorities.
“These executive orders represent our commitment to good governance, fiscal responsibility, and improving the quality of life for all New Orleans residents,” Moreno said in a statement issued Monday evening. “From ensuring our streets are properly maintained to creating respectful workplace environments, these directives establish a clear path forward for my administration.”
Here’s a look at each executive order and what they do:
1. Deputy Mayors and Senior Executive Leadership
Establishes a deputy mayor system in an effort to “strengthen strategic coordination across departments and improve accountability for outcomes.” The order establishes six deputy mayors who will report to and advise Moreno on planning, policy, etc.
The established positions are as follows:
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First deputy mayor/chief administrative officer
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Deputy mayor/chief of staff
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Deputy mayor of public safety
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Deputy mayor of health and human services
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Deputy mayor of external affairs
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Deputy mayor of economic development
2. Budget Stabilization and Efficiency Program
Creates a structured, data-driven efficiency initiative aimed at identifying recurring savings and reducing waste across city government. Establishes a working group tasked with stabilizing the city’s budget.
3. Citywide Street Maintenance Program
Establishes a program to evaluate creating a permanent, in-house Street Maintenance Unit within the Department of Public Works and whether that would reduce reliance on outsourcing for street and sidewalk maintenance and improve responsiveness.
4. Infrastructure Coordinating Council
Creates an advisory committee to align planning and operations among the Department of Public Works, Sewerage and Water Board and other infrastructure partners with the goal of improving project delivery, reducing service disruptions and increasing accountability for infrastructure projects.
5. Lights-On Streetlight Stabilization Initiative
Launches a comprehensive program to address streetlight and traffic signal outages that have plagued New Orleans for years, prioritizing the city’s most heavily traveled intersections. The Department of Public Works is directed to produce citywide operations plans for implementing critical streetlight repairs and addressing outages quickly in the future.
6. Public Safety Review
Establishes a 120-day Public Safety and Operational Readiness Assessment to evaluate agency performance and interagency coordination. The assessment will review emergency management, criminal justice system coordination and preparedness for hurricanes, Mardi Gras and other critical events.
7. Citywide Youth and Families Strategic Planning
Directs the creation of a comprehensive plan for youth and family services with measurable goals and clear accountability.
8. Municipal Complex Advisory Committee
Creates an advisory committee to evaluate options for a new City Hall, Civil District Court building or consolidated civic center. The committee will address aging infrastructure and operational inefficiencies that currently plague municipal buildings.
9. Prior Executive Orders
Revokes several executive orders issued by former Mayor LaToya Cantrell, many of which centered on past events like COVID-19 or the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, while directing a review of several others. The following orders were revoked:
10. Workplace Standards
Establishes citywide standards for a harassment-free, respectful workplace environment for all city employees. The order defines and prohibits rude, abusive or disrespectful conduct and applies to all executive branch departments, offices, boards, commissions and agencies.
11. Outside Employment by Executive Branch Officials
Directs a review of all policies regarding outside employment by unclassified employees.
12. Non-Essential Travel
Curtails the use of public funds for non-essential travel during the current financial crisis. The order explicitly states that travel regulations apply to the mayor herself.
13. Climate, Resilience and Sustainability Policy
Reorganizes the city’s approach to climate action by distributing initiatives across city departments rather than housing them in a single office. This approach aims to better integrate environmental priorities into the daily work of core departments where implementation occurs.
