The New Orleans City Council approved the the 2020 budget and slightly lowered the city’s overall property tax rate at its Thursday meeting.

The votes were the culmination of months of hearings, negotiations and compromises. The end result is a $726 million budget that looks much like what Mayor LaToya Cantrell originally proposed in October. There were some minor changes, including more funding for early childhood education, the District Attorney’s office, the Orleans Public Defender’s office and services for victims of domestic violence. 

The budget also allocates a portion of $6 million in fines paid by Entergy New Orleans this year. It’s the first time this money is being tapped.  

The most contentious issue over the past few months has been how much money the city will collect in property taxes next year. The City Council and the Cantrell administration have been arguing over what to do with the property tax rate in the wake of this year’s reassessments, which caused skyrocketing property values for thousands of residents throughout the city. 

The council had argued that rates should be lowered to help out residents who now have to scramble to pay additional property taxes. The Cantrell administration, meanwhile, argued that the rate should be kept the same, or lowered to a lesser degree, in order to fund critical city services. 

Credit by - The LENS

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