Preservation Resource Center Of New Orleans: Where The Candidates Stand On Historic Preservation, Blight And Affordable Housing

Press release from the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans:

Nathan Lott

October 21, 2021

Click on a district below to read the candidates’ answers: Click on a district below to read the candidates’ answers:

Upcoming municipal elections in New Orleans will be held Nov. 13, with the City Council positions all on the ballot. To assess the candidates’ stand on important issues that impact New Orleans neighborhoods, the Preservation Resource Center reached out to all of the candidates with questions related to land use, blight remediation, historic preservation and over-tourism.

With incumbent Mayor Latoya Cantrell widely expected to win victory ahead of upstart challengers who lack her political background, endorsements and campaign funding, the PRC opted to focus its research and reporting on the City Council races. Because the council oversees land use issues, such as zoning, conditional-use requests and appeals of local historic district commissions, the stakes are high for New Orleans neighborhoods.

Four of seven seats have an incumbent running for reelection: District A, District B, District E and At-Large Division 1. For the open At-Large Division 2 seat, two current council members are running, as is a former state senator, while the District C and District D fields are crowded with newcomers.

District council members have traditionally played an outsized role on land use matters, particularly those affecting the neighborhoods they represent. For that reason, PRC created a candidate questionnaire for all 34 people running across the five districts.

Follow the links below to read the full, verbatim answers to select questions from the 18 district candidates who responded as of press time. Because at-large representatives are elected by voters citywide, we offered those candidates the opportunity to sit down for a recorded conversation. The entirety of the recorded interviews will soon be available to view at PRCNO.org, so voters can hear from the at-large candidates directly about the challenges and opportunities facing our historic city.

All of the district candidates were asked the same five questions:

Click on a district below to read the candidates’ answers:

This press release was produced by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. The views expressed here are the author’s own.