New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell criticized Mayor LaToya Cantrell for violating a travel ban by attending the Yale Mayor’s College Conference in Washington D.C.
“The mayor is once again traipsing across the country doing needless travel. Last council meeting unanimously the council suspended all travel for all city employees in the entire city because of the budget crisis the mayor claims we have.”
The ban prohibits non-essential travel and related expenses from March 9 to April 30. Morrell’s letter argues that pre-approved travel is not exempt, as the ordinance even includes provisions for reimbursing canceled trips. He demands a full accounting of any expenses incurred.
“Frivolous travel is not essential. Frivolous spending on meals and the like are nonessential, So, we stopped all that. Despite that the Mayor took off to go to D.C. to hang out with people from Yale.”
The city claims the conference was scheduled before the ban and asserts no costs will be incurred. The controversy arises amid financial concerns and scrutiny of the mayor’s travel. Morrell’s letter condemns the mayor’s actions, arguing she should prioritize financial discipline.
“She makes some asinine argument that because it was prebooked before the ordinance that somehow its allowed. That’s not true at all. We knew that it was possible the Mayor would try to prebook all the travel she could squeeze in before the law went into effect.”
In response, the city defends the trip as beneficial for leadership development and dismisses criticism as divisive.
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