March 10th 2024.
The controversy surrounding the use of an apartment by LaToya Cantrell, the Mayor of New Orleans, seems to be coming to a head as the New Orleans City Council recently voted to grant the French Market Corporation the authority to evict Mayor Cantrell's office if they do not return the keys and personal belongings from the unit by March 21st.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Mayor Cantrell has been facing scrutiny for her lavish use of perks, including using taxpayer money for first-class flights. This discrepancy has also caught the attention of federal prosecutors after an investigation conducted by Fox 8. It has been alleged that the mayor continued to utilize the apartment for personal reasons, such as allowing family members to stay during Essence Fest. Council Vice President and sponsor of the eviction motion, J.P. Morell, expressed his frustration to Fox 8, stating, "This is a clarification of the law that we passed last year, outlining the proper use of the Pontalba. The council gave an inch, and the mayor took a mile."
In a statement to the Associated Press, Morell also addressed the council, stating that the mayor has been blatantly disregarding the law. "To date, whether intentionally or not, the mayor has failed to comply with the law." However, Mayor Cantrell's office released a statement on March 6th, claiming that the French Market Corporation already had the keys to the building and that there is no official tenant occupying the unit. They argue that an eviction is unnecessary in this situation, stating, "We hope that any reasonable person would recognize that initiating an eviction process is unreasonable when there is no tenant to evict."
Other council members, like Eugene Green, have raised concerns about the implications of targeting the mayor and how it may affect other property owners in the city. "The French Market Corporation is solely owned by the mayor of New Orleans. She appoints all members of the corporation, and we must be careful not to violate the very laws we seek to uphold for other property owners."
To complicate matters further, the Pontalba generates much-needed revenue for the city. According to Fox 8, the unit could bring in up to $2,900 per month if it were used for commercial purposes. Morell expressed his disappointment to the outlet, stating, "This has become a huge distraction, and it's unfortunate that instead of working together to resolve this, the mayor has put us in this position."
In light of the ongoing pandemic, Mayor Cantrell has shared her plans to restore and uplift the community, as reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE. It remains to be seen how this dispute over the apartment will be resolved and if it will continue to affect the city's efforts towards recovery.
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