NEW ORLEANS — Mayor-elect Helena Moreno says the city’s ongoing budget constraints will not prevent her from pursuing core priorities outlined during her campaign, emphasizing that many of her planned reforms depend on leadership and coordination rather than new spending.
In a recent Facebook video, Moreno said she remains confident in her ability to move forward. “The reason for that is, many of the things I talked about during the campaign really didn’t have anything to do with money,” she said. “They had to do with putting in the right leadership, making sure we have the right level of oversight, and most importantly, that we work with urgency, coordination and collaboration.”
New Infrastructure Coordinating Council
Speaking during a nola.com panel discussion on Dec. 8, Moreno announced she will establish a new coordinating council focused on infrastructure projects. The group, she said, will operate similarly to the Super Bowl taskforce that oversaw preparations for the major event. “This was a taskforce where they met every single week to make sure they were troubleshooting all of the different issues to get ready for Super Bowl,” Moreno said.
The goal, she added, is to deliver what she called a “Super Bowl-level of service all the time.” She cited improved lighting asset management and reliable traffic signals as early priorities.
Moreno said she has asked GNO, Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht, who headed the Super Bowl taskforce, to help launch the new initiative. “I’ve asked him if he could come and initially start heading up with coordinating council with our deputy CEO of infrastructure and Michael has agreed,” said Moreno.
Business Stakes and Economic Impact
In his role with the Super Bowl task force, Hecht helped coordinate a broad slate of infrastructure improvements, including street repaving, lighting repairs, signage upgrades and high-traffic sidewalk fixes in the months leading up to the event. His selection for the new council signals an intent to replicate that level of multi-agency coordination, something business groups have repeatedly said is essential for maintaining predictable city services.
His involvement will be voluntary. “This will really help us, as he comes in as a volunteer, to make sure that everyone is working together and coordinating the way they should be and ensuring that it is running like the coordinating task force during Super Bowl,” Moreno said.
Moreno described the new coordinating council as part of a broader shift toward year-round efficiency.
“This is how we need to operate all year round,” she said. “It shouldn’t take a Super Bowl to bring everybody to the table. That’s how effective city governments and parish governments work. I’m excited to start launching this so that we can start doing the same.”
