Tomorrow you will head to the polls. And you already know who you are going to vote for Senate and Congress and most of the judgeships. Last week you got a chance to look at the amendments, so hopefully you are better informed about those. But if you live in New Orleans voter you might be a little fuzzy on the three citywide measures upon which you need to decide. The three amendments concern a millage for the sheriff, the date of the mayoral inauguration, and the way professional services are awarded by the mayors office. Below we will have a quick review of the details to help you finalize your decisions. The first proposition will appear on the ballot as follows: PW Law Enf. Dist. - 2.9 Mills - Sheriff - 10 Yrs. This measure, while a millage, does not increase taxes paid by property owners. This an attempt to fund the consent decree without cutting the citys budget or raising peoples taxes. The federal consent decree requires the city and the sheriff to properly fund the improvements required by the decree. The mayor and the sheriff both claim to be unable to fund the consent decrees from their current budgets. If they are unable to secure financing, then a federal judge will make all decisions regarding the costs and improvements. Oddly, the mayor, who called the sheriff incompetent, and sheriff appeared together to support this measure, which will continue to generate income from the existing millage. This tax money will go to the Law Enforcement District controlled solely by the sheriff, who will have complete control over the use and distribution of the funds. The second measure you will see is: PW HRC Amendment Sec. 3 - CC - Sec. 3-102 & 4-201 This measure changes the inauguration dates for the incoming mayor and city council. This seems mundane, but is designed to give the incoming mayor and city council members, after a regime change, more control over spending decisions during the first year in office. Due to changes in state law that moved elections to earlier in the year, there will be a seven month delay between the election and the inauguration starting in 2017. Currently the gap is slightly more than two months. The final decision about city government is: PW HRC CA NO. Sec. 6 - CC - Sec. 6-308(1) & 6-308(5)(b) This proposition will change the way professional services contracts are awarded by the city. If implemented, a three-person selection committee comprised of city government employees with expertise in the contract area will award all such contracts. An exception during times of emergency is the only exception. Strangely this proposition also maintain a disadvantaged business enterprises program. The city currently has and has had for years a DBE program. Additionally, this prop designates the Chief Administrative Officer instead of the Director of Finance as the signatory on these contracts on the Citys behalf in the mayors absence.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 12:58:55 +0000
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