On Monday January 12 Helena Moreno took the oath of office as Mayor of the City of New Orleans. The Mayor won the vote with a majority vote and no runoff was necessary. On the campaign trail her story for the City was about change and priorities that would move the City forward in a new direction. In her inaugural address the very next day on Tuesday, she once again announced her plans to the people.
So,2026 will be a new beginning and the end of a past era when needed progress never came about. Moreno is in a good position to be able to execute her plans and policies. She has a successful record of public service both on the state and city level. She is a people person who relates and knows what a future New Orleans needs to do to achieve real progress and move forward. She is well prepared to be the City's 63rd Mayor. Her greatest problem will come from the media and especially the TP/NewOrleansAdvocate which is a republican leaning media.
On the day of her inaugural address, the TP/NOA published a full page commentary announcing that three of their opinion writers would be sitting down to discuss how Moreno handled the transition and what they will be watching after she takes the oath of office. Then all three columnists asked each other a series of "silly questions" about how the Mayor would handle various issues. They started the "silly season" early in an effort to try and influence the people before the new Mayor even set foot in her new office.
The people of New Orleans will know how and when to make a judgement on grading the Mayor. She set the bar high because she has confidence in her plans and policies to move the City in the right direction. She has addressed the City's budget problem in an honest tone and reasonable way that the people can understand. It is this writer's opinion that Mayor Moreno is well qualified to accomplish her agenda. She has appointed well qualified people to important positions which says a lot about her commitment to move the City forward. It also underscores her management skills.
The future of the City and it's people look brighter going into the new year and beyond.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
