Judge rules in favor of Mayor Cantrell, blocking city's travel ban

Axios

28-03-2025

The New Orleans City Council's ban on non-essential travel will remain on hold while a legal challenge against it plays out, a judge ruled Friday.
Why it matters: It's a win for Mayor LaToya Cantrell, whose lawyers argued in court that the ban "usurps" her power.
The big picture: Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Sidney Cates said the ordinance, which council members passed unanimously last month, needs a way to appeal in order to comply with city law.
The decision came after about an hour of arguments from lawyers representing the mayor and the council.
Cantrell was not in court. Her office confirmed she was in Washington, D.C., for a trade summit.
Zoom in: Cantrell's lawyers argued that the travel ban stops the mayor from doing the city's business and is part of a pattern of the council trying to exercise control over the executive branch.
The council's attorney argued that the ban is a temporary, cost-saving measure in response to what Cantrell's administration has deemed as a financial crisis.
Catch up quick: City Council president JP Morrell proposed the travel moratorium last month after the mayor and her administration backed out of a $20 million funding deal with the Orleans Parish School Board.
Financial leaders told the council then that the city had a cash flow problem.
Council members expressed skepticism about that outlook. They voted to join the school board in a lawsuit against the city over the broken agreement and later passed the travel moratorium in response to claims of out-of-control spending.
A judge ruled that the city only has to pay $10 million of the now-void deal.
State of play: Cantrell's travel has been a sore spot during her second term.
She has taken several domestic and international trips, often flying first class.
Those upgrades, which she charged to the city, made her the target of a state ethics investigation.
Cantrell maintains that as the city's first female mayor and a Black woman, she faces more intense scrutiny and has been held to different standards than her predecessors.
What's next: The full lawsuit, in which the mayor essentially challenges the power of the council, is moving forward.
Charles Rice, who is one of Cantrell's lawyers, said he will seek to permanently block the travel restrictions.
Adam Swensek, who represents the council, tells Axios he will consult with his clients to determine next steps, including if they want to amend the ordinance to include an option to appeal.