Big Easy Budget Equity Voter Guide – Councilmember

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Councilmember At Large #1

The At-Large City Councilmember represents everyone. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, regulate Entergy, and serve as the President or Vice-President of City Council. 

Hover or click on the questions below each candidate to see their provided responses. For the sake of brevity and readability, some candidates’ responses have been summarized, the full transcript of their responses can be found here.

Delisha Boyd

 

Didn’t answer survey

Matthew "Matt" Hill

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
  • Economic development and housing
  • Community safety
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I would make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent by applying Lean Six Sigma and Lean Government principles. That means stripping out inefficiencies, ending the culture of back-room deals, and making every dollar traceable. First, I would implement performance-based budgeting, where every department must justify spending with measurable results tied to public outcomes. Second, I would require regular managerial and financial audits so residents can see exactly where their tax dollars are going, and whether programs are delivering value. Third, I would create a public-facing dashboard, updated in real time, so citizens can track revenue, spending, and progress on major projects. This would eliminate confusion and mistrust, while empowering residents to hold leaders accountable. Finally, equity must be built in budgets should be evaluated through an equity lens, ensuring resources are distributed fairly across neighborhoods, especially those historically left behind. With Lean Government discipline, the budget stops being a mystery and becomes a tool to rebuild trust and deliver results for every New Orleanian.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
If elected, I will ensure residents can hold me accountable through constant engagement, transparency, and open access. I’ll maintain an open-door policy—not just for organizations or lobbyists, but for everyday residents with concerns or solutions. I’ll hold regular community meetings across all neighborhoods, including New Orleans East, Algiers, the Lower 9th Ward, and Uptown, so people don’t have to come downtown to be heard. Digital town halls and online tools will let residents track my votes, budget decisions, and progress in real time. Accountability means oversight. I will require public dashboards showing city services and spending so residents can see where every dollar goes and if projects stay on schedule. I’ll also publish quarterly report cards on my office’s performance—what I’ve achieved, ongoing work, and remaining challenges. I will listen directly to residents—not just union reps or leaders, but the workers, families, and neighbors living the city’s reality. My experience as a manager has taught me that those closest to the work know the problems best. Accountability isn’t just a slogan—it’s how I lead, and I will bring that discipline to City Hall.

Matthew Willard

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Economic development and housing
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I think we can always do more to make our budget process equitable and transparent. At present, I would like to see the City's budget move away from being a one-year exercise and instead move towards a five-year financial plan. Having a longer-term roadmap makes the process more transparent and allows the public to see the trade-offs between new spending, recurring costs, and available revenues. It would also help the Council ensure that the budget is structurally balanced, and that critical needs like street maintenance and drainage are not perpetually underfunded. Beyond that, we must ensure that any discretionary allocations are clearly justified with measurable outcomes so that citizens can see exactly what they are getting for their tax dollars.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I've always been deeply engaged in the community and am an excellent listener. Over my six years in the Louisiana House of Representatives, I can proudly say every piece of legislation I carried is a direct result of listening to my constituents. My door, phone, and calendar will always be open to the people who have elected me to office.

Councilmember At Large #2

The At-Large City Councilmember represents everyone. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, regulate Entergy, and serve as the President or Vice-President of City Council. 

Kenneth Cutno

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Economic Development and Housing
  • Community Safety
  • Youth, families, and culture
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
As a member of your Council at Large, I will make the city's budget process more equitable and transparent. Implement participatory budgeting across all council districts, allowing residents to directly decide how a portion of city funds are spent. Require equity impact statements on all major budget decisions to ensure spending does not deepen disparities. Publish plain-language budget reports that are easy to read and available in multiple languages. Hold neighborhood-based public hearings not just at City Hall so residents can speak directly where they live. Budgets are moral documents, and every resident should be able to see how their tax dollars are being invested back into their communities
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
Accountability starts with accessibility. As your Council at Large member, I will: Hold quarterly community accountability meetings across the city, rotating by council district, to report progress and hear directly from residents. Create a public online dashboard tracking budget commitments, community investments, and progress toward campaign promises. Partner with faith leaders, neighborhood associations, and community organizations to keep an open line of communication between residents and my office.

Pastor Gregory Manning

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
  • Economic development and housing
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I am in favor of a comprehensive participatory budgeting process in which the community is able to determine what areas receive the highest priority, and where the community has the ability to voice approval or rejection of major budgetary decisions.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I will host regular town halls, attend meetings hosted by grassroots community organizations on a regular basis, and make constituent services and outreach my staff's prime directive.

J.P. Morrell

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
  • Economic development and housing
  • Youth, families, and culture
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I worked with Councilmember Giarusso to expand the period for consideration of the City Budget from ONE month to SEVERAL months, to allow for more transparency and public input. Further, when the Mayor declined to hold public budget meetings, the Council held them instead to ensure public input. I remain committed to promoting as much public input as possible into the budget process. Budgets are moral documents and where we fund money is indicative of where our priorities are as a city.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I have regular meetings throughout the city that create an open door environment where we meet resident where they are to express their support or opposition to a variety of actions that take place in government. It is important as a council to remember that our primary job, beyond that services are delivered is that we listen to the public as far as how they want their tax dollars spent.

Councilmember - District A

City Council District A represents Uptown, Hollygrove-Dixon, and parts of Mid-City. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, and regulate Entergy. 

Holly Friedman

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Community Safety
  • Economic Development and Housing
  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I will make the City’s budget process more equitable and transparent by ensuring residents can clearly see where their tax dollars go and have a real say in setting priorities. This includes creating public dashboards that track spending and outcomes in real time, holding neighborhood budget hearings to hear from all communities, and expanding participatory budgeting so residents can directly influence funding decisions. I will also promote plain-language budget summaries so families and small businesses can easily understand how money is allocated. An open, accessible budget is essential to rebuilding trust and ensuring fair resource distribution across every neighborhood. Community organizations working directly with residents must have a seat at the table. These groups bring vital knowledge about housing, safety, youth programs, and neighborhood needs. Partnering with them will help guarantee city resources are distributed equitably and effectively, benefiting every neighborhood.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
When elected, I will provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold me accountable by being fully accessible and transparent in my work. You can only write good policy if you are listening to the neighborhoods and the nonprofits doing the work on the ground. That's why I will hold quarterly community meetings in every neighborhood, maintain open office hours, and partner directly with local organizations to make sure their voices guide city decisions. I will publish public dashboards so residents can track progress on services and spending, and I will create clear feedback channels through 311 and community surveys. Accountability means more than reporting back. It means making sure residents and organizations are at the table every step of the way so that policies reflect the true will of the people of New Orleans.

Aimee McCarron

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment 
  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Community safety
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
The budget process must start with early collaboration between the Council, the administration, and the community—before the Mayor drafts the budget. Priorities should be set together, and the Mayor and Council should host joint community meetings to hear directly from residents and advocates. Currently, departments submit their budgets to the CAO, who holds internal hearings and then finalizes the proposal. However, neither the Council nor the public sees the original departmental requests. Even if cuts are justified, this lack of transparency makes it difficult to fully understand how the final budget was shaped. A legislative instrument could require disclosure of these original submissions to improve accountability. I previously worked with Councilmember Giarrusso on a charter amendment to extend the budget process for greater public input and transparency. Last year was the first time this longer process was used, and while we successfully got the Council amendment and explanatory memo (which I wrote) on the agenda, the public still didn’t have enough time to engage. If the final budget is due by December 1st, we should ensure amendments are introduced earlier—so residents have time to review, ask questions, and help shape final decisions.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
Part of one of the changes I made for the budget process was to have department heads state their goals for the next year and provide the "report card" type slide in their presentation to show what they actually did vs. what they told us they would do the year before and I want to do the same thing for me. At the beginning of each year, I want to host a town hall meeting in the district to discuss the goals for the year. Then I will provide quarterly updates on our progress via my newsletter, at neighborhood meetings, and during my weekly office hours. Then at the end of the year, just like departments do, I'll create my own little report card of what I DID get done and what didn't get done and WHY. I think this is the best way to keep myself accountable and transparent to the district.

"Alex" Mossing

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
  •  Economic development and housing
  • Youth, families, and culture
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
The City's budget should be a reflection of residents' priorities, not just political insiders. To make the process more equitable and transparent, I support participatory budgeting so communities can directly influence how funds are spent in their neighborhoods. Equity must be built into every step: each proposed investment should include an equity impact statement to show who benefits and how disparities are being addressed. I would also require departments to publish quarterly performance dashboards, making it clear how dollars are being spent and whether programs are delivering results. Transparency means accessibility: budget documents should be written in plain language, translated when needed, and posted online so all residents can track progress. By centering community voices and tying spending to measurable outcomes, we can ensure the City's budget advances safety, housing, health, and opportunity for all New Orleanians.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
Accountability is a key pillar of my campaign. This means creating real ways for residents to evaluate my work and influence decisions. If elected, I will host regular town halls and neighborhood meetings in every part of District A, not just during campaign season. I will also publish quarterly reports detailing my votes, budget priorities, and progress on campaign commitments, so residents can track where I stand.

Robert "Bob" Murrell

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Economic development and housing
  • Health and food security
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I will launch a participatory budgeting (PB) pilot using the Cox/Harrah’s Fund, allowing community members to propose, advocate for, and vote on the priorities that matter most to them. This will involve building the infrastructure for PB—alongside public education and grassroots organizing—to ensure broad, informed participation. Budget hearings should take place year-round, with departments regularly reporting their financial status. This would allow for mid-year adjustments and make the budgeting process more transparent and manageable. Drawing from Marta Harnecker’s Planning from Below, I envision communities co-creating long-term strategic plans, identifying local needs, and directly coordinating resources to address them. This decentralized approach empowers neighbors to shape their surroundings—not just respond to top-down decisions. Participatory planning is a global and national practice that reduces corruption, strengthens democracy, and counters rising authoritarianism. True equity requires constant measurement—of where funds go, who participates, and which communities are served. Only with ongoing monitoring can we ensure fair, inclusive budgeting that puts power in the hands of the people.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I don’t want to spend most of my time at City Hall—I want to be actively in District A, in neighborhoods like Hollygrove, Dixon, the Fairgrounds, and Mid City. I’ll use remote sessions, work hours at local businesses and city facilities, and ongoing town halls where people can actively debate and ask questions—not just listen for an hour. I’ll publish routine audits of my communications and create a constituent portal that informs residents as thoroughly as City Council is informed. Unlike Councilmember Giarrusso, who is very responsive but can create bottlenecks, I don’t want residents to rely on me to find the right contact. Instead, I want residents to hold me accountable when issues aren’t properly addressed. As a technical project manager, I hold myself accountable through proactive communication, regular feedback sessions, and performance reviews with both workers and management. I joke about wearing a bodycam, but I genuinely want to eliminate the backroom dealings in City Hall and end the frequent rubber-stamping practices in Council.

Bridget Neal

 

Didn’t answer survey

Councilmember - District B

The District B Councilmember represents Broadmoor, Central City, the Garden District, the CBD and Tulane-Gravier. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, and regulate Entergy. 

Lesli D. Harris

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Councilmember - District C

The District C Councilmember represents Algiers, the French Quarter, Treme, Marigny, Bywater, and part of St. Roch. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, and regulate Entergy.

Eliot S. Barron

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Kelsey Foster

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Economic Development and Housing
  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I plan to expand public engagement around the city budget with innovative outreach beyond traditional town halls—which often ask for input without providing real context. During the summer, while departments prepare their budget requests, I’ll host “Red Beans” nights at community centers, where residents can enjoy a meal and participate in a hands-on budgeting simulation using red beans to represent millions in city funds. This makes the budget tangible, accessible, and empowers people—especially those without formal financial education—to engage meaningfully in shaping neighborhood priorities. I also want to pilot participatory budgeting (PB) in resident-facing departments like NORD. PB gives the public direct power to propose and vote on a portion of a city or department’s budget. Unlike traditional voting, PB doesn’t go through the registrar of voters, allowing people often excluded from the ballot—due to incarceration, immigration status, or age—to participate. I believe youth should have a greater voice in public decision-making. A NORD PB pilot would give them real-world experience in civic participation and help cultivate a more informed, engaged future electorate.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I believe in creating more opportunities to engage in city decision making outside of a two-minute public comment period in front of a microphone. I would like to re-engage residents and City Hall in the effort to design and adopt a formal citizen participation plan that de-centers City Hall and formal meetings as the place where major decisions are made and brings collaboration and deliberation into neighborhoods in more innovative ways. By codifying this kind of policy, we give residents predictability in the ways they can learn and engage on issues affecting them that won't change every four years with new leadership. It also allows for sustained, meaningful community engagement that builds capacity in communities over time, bringing great opportunity from meaningful, shared decision making and accountability.

Jackson Kimbrell

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation, and environment
  •  Economic development and housing
  • Health and food security
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I plan on continuing the budget presentations in all areas of District C. I appreciate the current council doing these presentations but there needs to be multiple opportunities on both the East and West banks of the district. Also, I want to institute participatory budgeting that gets average New Orleanians involved in the budget process. I've heard great ideas and concerns from my neighbors and want to involve them in our yearly budget process.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I plan to hold quarterly community meetings throughout the district. I want to establish neighborhood councils that include not just homeowners that are members of neighborhood groups. I will conduct surveys throughout the year to gather information on what concerns my neighbors the most. I will reach out to our local small business groups to ensure we are building a city that works for local entrepreneurs.

Freddie King III

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Community Safety
  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Economic Development and Housing
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
The budget process should include residents from the start, with meetings in neighborhoods instead of only at City Hall. Clear and simple tools must show where money is going and if commitments are being kept. Every decision should be measured by who benefits, making sure resources reach the families and communities that need them most.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
Accountability starts with accessibility. That means holding regular neighborhood meetings, giving clear updates on progress, and providing public tools that show what's been promised and what's been delivered. Residents deserve more than speeches; they deserve real follow-through and a councilmember who listens, responds, and acts on their behalf. It also means harnessing simple technology like google tools that I have used to inform decision making in the past. I will continue to use those tools in the future with plans to implement for this upcoming budget cycle.

Councilmember - District D

The District D Councilmember represents Gentilly, Lake Vista, Lafitte, and parts of the 7th ward, St. Roch, the 9th ward, and the East. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, and regulate Entergy.

Belden "Noonie Man" Batiste

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Eugene Green

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Community Safety
  • Economic Development and Housing
  • Youth, families, and culture
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
The number of hearings allow for significant participation by members of the public who wish to be more informed about the revenue streams and expenditures, which creates opportunities for input from the public regarding enhancements and reductions of the budget.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I have made myself available at scores of public meetings held on the City Council level during any year. In addition, I attend many community meetings regularly, and I'm in touch with the concerns of the citizens beyond the City Council meeting level. My staff is motivated and resolves hundreds of constituent issues each year.

Leilani Heno

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Infrastructure, transportation and environment
  • Youth, Families and Culture
  • Economic development and housing
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I will push for a five year financial plan so the city can move toward a structurally balanced budget. I will protect dedicated funds for public safety, housing, and infrastructure and publish key metrics through a user friendly dashboard so residents can follow along. I will support expanding the council's review period to allow for deeper analysis and meaningful public input. Every department must respond quickly to audit findings and there must be consequences when they fall short. Equitable and transparent budgeting means your dollars follow your needs, not politics.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
If elected, I will create clear, accessible ways for residents to track my work and hold me accountable. This includes a public dashboard that tracks city services such as street repairs, drainage, trash pickup, and blight response by neighborhood. I will host regular town halls and neighborhood meetings so residents can speak directly with me about their concerns. I will also ensure that every vote I take is explained publicly so people understand why I made that decision. True accountability means listening, responding, and making sure government works for every neighborhood, not just a select few.

Councilmember - District E

The District E Councilmember represents New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward. They make laws and land use decisions, control the budget, and regulate Entergy.

Richard Bell Sr.

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Economic development and housing
  • Health and food security
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
yes
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
I fight and win for the community

Kimberly Burbank

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Danyelle Christmas

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Jason Hughes

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Nathaniel Jones

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Willie Morgan

 

 

 

Didn’t answer survey

Cyndi Nguyen

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Economic development and housing
  • Community safety
  • Youth, families, and culture
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I would work to make the City's budget process more equitable by ensuring resources are allocated to the neighborhoods and communities with the greatest needs, particularly those historically underserved. To increase transparency, I will advocate for participatory budgeting, clearer reporting on how funds are spent, and accessible opportunities for residents to provide input throughout the process.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
If elected, I will provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold me accountable by creating regular, accessible spaces for dialogue such as town halls, community forums, and neighborhood listening sessions. I will also ensure timely reporting on my votes, initiatives, and use of public resources, while inviting ongoing community feedback to guide decision-making.

Gavin Richard

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Economic development and housing
  • Infrastructure, transportation and environment
  • Community safety
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I would support having an audit performed concerning the city's spending and finances. I'd also hold meetings with the public.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
Meetings, public sit downs at local community centers in my district.

Jonathan Anthony Roberts

 

Stated Top Priorities

  • Economic development and housing
  • Youth, families, and culture
  • Community safety
How would you make the City's budget process more equitable and transparent?
I will make the city's budget process more equitable and transparent by putting residents at the center of decision-making. That means expanding participatory budgeting so communities, especially in underserved neighborhoods like New Orleans East and the Lower Ninth Ward, directly shape how public dollars are spent. I will champion real-time public dashboards that track allocations and outcomes so residents can see where every dollar goes. I will also push for annual equity audits of city spending to identify gaps and ensure resources are distributed fairly across race, income, and geography. Finally, I will hold public oversight hearings that are accessible, multilingual, and community-driven. Our people deserve not just a seat in the room but a true voice in how we invest in housing, youth, infrastructure, and safety.
If elected, how will you provide meaningful opportunities for residents to hold you accountable to will of the people of New Orleans
If elected, I will create real structures for accountability that go beyond campaign promises. I will establish a District E People's Council made up of residents from across our neighborhoods to meet regularly and help shape policy priorities. I will host mobile office hours and town halls in every part of the district so people don't have to come downtown to be heard. I will also push for participatory budgeting so residents directly decide how portions of our budget are spent, and I will make sure all spending is visible through public dashboards and equity audits. Most importantly, I will show up; in schools, churches, and community meetings; to listen, report back, and act on the will of the people. Accountability means presence, transparency, and a willingness to be held to the same standard I demand of others.