Improving waste reduction and performance outcomes requires regular review and relentless followup

Here’s a prediction about Bobby Jindal’s Commission on Streamlining Government recommendations: They will prove to be too little to make any long-term difference, and we’ll be having more discussions in the future about bloat in the state’s budget.
The lesson learned in other places that have successfully overcome fiscal challenges — like Baltimore, through its… »

Even if you couldn’t care less about the city, you have to support NolaStat out of self interest to lower your taxes

Mayoral candidate Rob Couhig is polling whether residents are willing to pay higher taxes, or accept reduced services. There’s an alternative proposed by assessor candidate Janis Lemle: FAIR taxes. If we could stop the patronage system of rewarding political benefactors with more favorable assessments, and get those scofflaws and cheats to pay their fair share,… »

What gets measured gets done

New Orleans is remarkably similar to Baltimore …
When Martin O’Malley was sworn in as mayor of Baltimore in 1999, he inherited a $153 million deficit and 16,000 city employees who, he said, were “wallowing in a culture of failure.” O’Malley identified the source of citizen frustration with Baltimore’s high crime rate, failing schools and broken… »

How New Orleans spends your tax dollars

Does this chart reflect your priorities?

Council Members Shelley Midura and Stacy Head hosted a budget town hall meeting last night. Among the strongest points made was that the lack of community participation in the budget process may have led to a misalignment of expenditures with respect to community priorities.
See the town hall Powerpoint… »

Upcoming City Council budget meetings

A schedule of upcoming City Council budget meetings:

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2PM – Budget Committee Meeting
Friday, Oct. 30, 10AM – Mayor presents his budget

Budget hearings begin, Nov. 6, 9:30AM: Throughout month of November, departmental budget committee hearings during day in City Council chambers.

Weekly Budget Review Sessions with Councilmembers Head & Midura:

Wednesday, November 11th, 7:00 PM, City… »

How do we live within our means without cutting essential city programs and services?

The public has been invited to City Council chambers tonight to comment on what the city’s budget priorities should be:
As you know, during the month of November the Council will undergo the harrowing process of adopting the 2010 budget, AND we are facing a nearly $68 million deficit based on the 2009 budget.
I am writing… »

A NolaStat review of the 2009 New Orleans budget process

Although not officially released yet, the October 2nd Inspector General’s report on the 2009 New Orleans budget process (previously leaked to the press) is now available to read on NolaStat.org:
Review of the Budget Process of New Orleans
Months of NolaStat policy research have produced many of the same conclusions about the city’s budget as can be… »

City of New Orleans 2008 Financial Audit

The City of New Orleans 2008 Financial Audit can be downloaded here.
This was acquired by first applying in July to Council Member Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, the Chair of the City Council Budget, Audit, and Board of Review Committee. Mrs. Hedge-Morrell could not supply a copy of the audit, but a member of her staff referred the… »