New Orleans mayor set to take third overseas trip in five weeks time
THIS IS WDSU NEWS AT 6 FIRST AT SIX NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL LEADERS ARE TAKING A STEP TOWARDS CAPPING, MARYLAND TOYA CANTRELL’S TRAVEL AFTER TWO RECENT TRIPS TO EUROPE HAVE LED TO A LOT OF CRITICISMS. LIKE EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY WE TOOK THOSE CONCERNS STRAIGHT TO THE MAYOR WDSU INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER CASSIE SHERM SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR CASSIE WHAT PUSHED COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TRY AND PUT LIMITS ON HER TRAVEL SPENDING IN THE FIRST PLACE. WELL GUYS THIS ALL STARTED AFTER HER LAST. TWO RECENT TRIPS THE FIRST ONE SWITZERLAND THE SECOND ONE FRANCE NOW AFTER THESE TWO TRIPS A LOT OF CRITICISM CAME ABOUT AND CONCERNS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THERE’S ALREADY SO MUCH WORK THAT’S NEEDED TO BE DONE HERE IN THE CITY FROM THE STALLED PROJECTS TO THE SURGING CRIME NOW SOME OF HER CRITICS SAY SHE SHOULD BE SPENDING HER TIME AND MONEY ON CLEANING UP THE CITY. SO I ASKED THE MAYOR A QUESTION MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING AT THIS MOMENT. WHY NOW? THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND CRITICISM. FOR YOU KNOW IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY WHEN THERE’S SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE CITY. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT THAT THERE’S ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME TO CONDUCT THE CITY’S BUSINESS AND ESPECIALLY EXPAND OUR CULTURAL FOOTPRINT THAT DRIVES THE LOCAL ECONOMY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE’RE MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT ONLY EMBRACE OUR CULTURAL BEARERS MAYOR LATOYA CONTROLS RECENT TRIPS ARE NOW BEING SCRUTINIZED SOME SAY HER PRIOR. SHOULD BE FOCUSED LOCALLY ON CRIME IN THE CITY’S ECONOMY. IT’S A SHAME THAT OUR MAYOR. SHE TAKE LAVISH VACATION ON THE TAX BILL MONEY AND FOREIGN COUNTRY WHY PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THE CITY OF CRIME. THEY WANT ANSWERS NOW. WE NEED THE LONG-TERM EFFORT ON CRIME FIGHTING, BUT WE NEED SOME PROACTIVE THINGS TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW LITTLE YOU’RE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. BUT IT’S NOT JUST COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MONEY IS BEING SPENT. THAT’S WHY CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT HELENA MORENO AND VICE PRESIDENT JP MORRELL FILED LEGISLATION CAPPING NOT ESSENTIAL TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS AT 1,000 PER TRIP NON-ESSENTIAL TRIPS WOULD ESSENTIALLY STOP TRIPS LIKE THE ONE SHE’S RECENTLY TOOK TO SWITZERLAND IN THE FRENCH RIVIERA TO REINFORCE SISTER CITY AGREEMENTS, BUT JUST HOW MUCH MONEY DID THESE TWO CELEBRATORY TRIPS COST. THE ANSWER IS WE DON’T KNOW AFTER MULTIPLE PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS. CITY CONTINUES TO NOT GIVE US THAT INFORMATION. SO WE WENT TO THE MAYOR FOR THAT NUMBER. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU’VE SPENT FOR THE PAST TWO SISTER CITY TRIPS TO SISTER CITY? NO, IT’S A COLLECT. I DO BUSINESS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND NOT JUST IN ISOLATION OF ONE SISTER CITY THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED. IT’S IT’S COMPREHENSIVE IN REGARDS TO THE BUSINESS THAT I DO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. SO NO, I DON’T KNOW OFFHAND. JUST LOOKING THROUGH THE TUNNEL. I LOOK AT THE WHOLE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE TURNED THOUGH I CANNOT AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE ASKING ME NOW. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME CONTROL SPENDING HAS BEEN QUESTIONED IN 2019 THE CITY SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR CONTROL AND HER STAFF TO GO TO GHANA FOR AN ESSENCE EVENT. AND WHEN SHE WAS ON CITY COUNCIL SHE WAS INVESTIGATED FOR MISUSING HER CITY CREDIT CARD CHARGING $9,000 FOR FOOD IN VARIOUS WALMART RUNS. NOW IF THIS ORDINANCE IS PASSED THROUGH IT WON’T JUST IMPACT THE MAYOR IT ALSO IMPACT COUNCILMEMBERS AS WELL. SO WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THIS VERY CLOSELY REPORTING HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. I’M CASSIE SHERM BACK TO YOU AND CASSIE. WHEN DOES THE COUNCIL PLAN ON VOTING ON THIS CAPPING? THE MAYOR’S TRAVEL BUDGET? WELL TRAVERS, DISCUSSED IT YESTERDAY. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON IT, BUT THEY ENDED UP TABLING IT TO AUGUST 4TH, AND THAT COULD CHANGE. SO WE’RE GONNA KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT AND KEEP YOU GUYS UP TO DATE. LATEST INFORMATION HERE ON AIR AND AT ONLINE AT WDSU.COM REPORTING HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. I’M CASSIE SURE BACK TO YOU TRAVERS.
New Orleans mayor set to take third overseas trip in five weeks time
Updated: 7:59 PM CDT Jul 27, 2022
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is set to take her third trip overseas in a matter of five weeks. According to City Council President Helena Moreno, Cantrell will be taking a trip to Singapore for an international conference. This will be Cantrell’s third trip in just over a month’s time. She has already traveled to Switzerland and France in the past few weeks for sister-city contracts. Moreno said Cantrell will be at Biennial World Cities Summit. The conference joins together government leaders to address sustainable city challenges. The news comes just hours after WDSU Investigates obtained documents for her recent trip to Switzerland. For that trip alone, Cantrell spent nearly $10,000 on airfare. WDSU Investigates has not received documents for her France trip, or information on costs of her food, lodging and entertainment for the Switzerland trip. The trips come amid public frustration of her recent travels. The concerns have led both Moreno and City Council Vice President J.P. Morrell to cap Cantrell’s travel spending through new legislation. The ordinance will be discussed in August.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is set to take her third trip overseas in a matter of five weeks.
According to City Council President Helena Moreno, Cantrell will be taking a trip to Singapore for an international conference.
This will be Cantrell’s third trip in just over a month’s time. She has already traveled to Switzerland and France in the past few weeks for sister-city contracts.
Moreno said Cantrell will be at Biennial World Cities Summit. The conference joins together government leaders to address sustainable city challenges.
The news comes just hours after WDSU Investigates obtained documents for her recent trip to Switzerland.
For that trip alone, Cantrell spent nearly $10,000 on airfare.
WDSU Investigates has not received documents for her France trip, or information on costs of her food, lodging and entertainment for the Switzerland trip.
The trips come amid public frustration of her recent travels. The concerns have led both Moreno and City Council Vice President J.P. Morrell to cap Cantrell’s travel spending through new legislation.
The ordinance will be discussed in August.
