The City of New Orleans announced on March 17 that it will support a review of sanitation service data by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. The review comes as the city seeks to address a $24 million budget deficit in its sanitation services and aims to ensure the accuracy of service location data.
This review is significant because accurate household counts are necessary for setting fair fees and ensuring that costs are properly distributed among residents. The city said the audit was prompted after issues were identified with the age and accuracy of existing sanitation service data.
Mayor Helena Moreno said, “We must ensure that the cost for services is accurate as we work to reset the fee. Therefore, I agree with the auditor that an audit to verify the number of households being serviced is essential.” Moreno added, “We continue to welcome the partnership with the Legislative Auditor as he uses his resources and expertise to review and scrutinize all aspects of the City’s operations in order to get the best results for the people of New Orleans.”
Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack said, “I think it’s imperative that we get the household count right. My office was tasked to find out how the City of New Orleans got in this financial situation. This is just another step in the process to make sure the general fund is no longer subsidizing a cost that should be borne its residents. This is how its handled in other municipalities across this state.”
The audit will involve collecting billing data from both Sewerage and Water Board records and property information from city databases. The process is expected to take several weeks, during which time Mayor Moreno will wait before releasing further details or proposing changes related to sanitation fees until after verification by auditors.
The results of this review will be announced by the Legislative Auditor once their work concludes.