City Council overrides mayor’s veto, adopts 2026 operating budget

The New Orleans City Council voted on Dec. 18 to override the mayor’s veto of two 2026 operating-budget ordinances, moving forward with the spending plan the council said it had negotiated with administration staff and transition-team representatives.

Council members described tense deliberations about revenues and service cuts. "The charter requires that we pass a budget," Council member Morrell said, criticizing the mayor for vetoing the council’s version without presenting an alternative. Council members said the original proposal the council revised included steep cuts — they cited a previously discussed 30% cut scenario — and that the body had negotiated a slimmer, less-damaging budget and identified roughly $75,000,000 in additional revenues to avoid severe reductions to sanitation and other core services.

During the hearing council members called witnesses and department representatives to verify revenue assumptions. Michael Eric Burnside and other speakers discussed cash-flow timing and the city’s limited flexibility if federal reimbursements or transfers do not materialize. After debate, motions to overrule the mayor’s objections carried on both ordinances by a recorded vote of 7 yeas, no nays.

The council framed the votes as a legal requirement to keep the city funded and avoid service interruptions while noting continuing debate over revenue sources, pension liabilities and long-term fiscal sustainability. The council recorded the override votes on the record; the measures now proceed per the ordinances as adopted by the council.

Authorities cited during the reconsideration included Home Rule Charter provisions governing the budget process; the council’s clerk read the ordinance titles and charter citations before debate.