Council restructures Sewerage & Water Board governance amid employee concerns and public debate

The New Orleans City Council voted to restructure the governance of the Sewerage & Water Board, adopting an amendment that clarified council approval of board membership and passed several companion measures directing the board to submit new bylaws, ordering a civil-service pay review for classified employees, and requesting a legislative-auditor review of the utility’s finances.

Council President Morrell framed the measures as corrective oversight: “Until today, the Sewerage and Water Board was not subject to the authority of the New Orleans City Council,” he said, adding the council sought a new model to ensure accountability and long-term funding stability. Morrell and other sponsors emphasized the change is not intended as a punishment but as a mechanism for transparency and responsiveness to resident complaints about billing, leaks and repair follow-up.

Public comment produced sharply contrasting views. Irma Plummer, identified as a Sewage & Water Board employee who said she was speaking as a citizen and taxpayer, told the council that from her vantage point the proposal ‘‘seems like a hostile takeover.’’ Council members responded on the floor, with sponsors saying the goal is oversight and improved public access and with other commenters urging collaboration rather than politicization.

The council also approved motion M26-3-11 directing the board to submit new bylaws by Dec. 31, 2026, and motion M26-3-12 asking the civil-service commission to review classified-employee compensation at the utility; a resolution (R26-3-13) requesting an audit by the legislative auditor also passed. Votes on the major governance ordinance and the related items were recorded as unanimous among the seven members present.