Palmer, Brossett and Morrell kick off New Orleans Council-at-Large bids

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer

It’s a testament to the growing intensity of the New Orleans Council at-Large Division 2 race that contender Kristin Palmer even filed Motion 21-228 last Wednesday. The proposal would temporarily stop the Cantrell administration from moving City Hall into the Municipal Auditorium, without a community process and a vote by the City Council.

The District C councilmember filed the motion half a week after Mayor Latoya Cantrell seemingly abandoned the notion of seizing the former performance venue (and the attached $36 million in FEMA reconstruction funds) to build a new municipal complex in the 91-year old Armstrong Park edifice. Cantrell had already backtracked from what had been her administration’s major policy priority going into her reelection campaign – after a massive demonstration and march from the Tremé condemned the idea. Downtown residents have been angry at the mayor, and Palmer who represents the area on the Council seeks to stoke that furor into a successful at-large bid.

The District “C” Councilwoman might need every political advantage she can accumulate. Almost as Palmer was penning the potential ordinance, her District D colleague Jared Brossett was himself jumping into the at-large race. Unlike Palmer, Brossett is term limited in his current office. Also unlike Palmer, Brossett opted to run against the son of his political mentor.

When former state Sen. JP Morrell announced his candidacy for the open at-large seat (previously held by the new DA Jason Williams), it was thought that Brossett, whom Morrell often called “a brother” and who had served as assistant to the senator’s mother (former District D Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell), would opt for some other office out of deference. In fact, many believed that Brossett might choose to run for the Clerk of Criminal Court post when Arthur Morrell announced his retirement just over a week ago. Brossett had narrowly lost a bid for Clerk of Civil District Court in 2018, after all.

Instead of trying to succeed the paterfamilias, Brossett chose to challenge the crown prince, until very recently his closest friend in politics. This despite a rather embarrassing arrest last year for a DUI whilst Brossett drove a city-owned SUV into another car on Elysian Fields Avenue.

All three candidates have commenced raising money and positioning themselves for what could promise to be a brutal proverbial “knife fight” of a race. Palmer began her bid last week by aiming her fire directly at the mayor. “The residents of Tremé have been left out of the decision to move City Hall to Armstrong Park,” said the councilwoman. “A project of this size will have a huge impact on the future of Tremé. The people who live here have to be at the table.”

Despite protests by Tremé residents, Palmer continued to explain in a press release, that the Cantrell administration has been moving forward with their plans to relocate City Hall to Armstrong Park using FEMA funds earmarked to refurbish the Municipal Auditorium. Councilmember Palmer’s motion comes after months of calls by Tremé residents for an open and transparent public process to discuss the impact of moving City Hall to a building originally intended for arts and cultural uses.

“Saying we either move City Hall into the auditorium or lose FEMA dollars is a false choice,” said Palmer. “The people of Tremé understand that the 2023 deadline to use our FEMA funding needs to be taken seriously. But trying to force through a development that the community doesn’t want is just wasting time. The faster we get through an open community process, the faster we’ll have a plan for the Municipal Auditorium.” (The City Council will vote on Palmer’s motion at the Thursday, July 1, regular meeting.)

Brossett, in his press release last week, took aim at the growing level of public insecurity at rising crime rates. “Public safety will be my highest priority, and I will offer a smart, unprecedented plan that sends the message that New Orleans will no longer tolerate violence, and our city leaders will expect accountability from all who protect and serve,” he wrote.

In contrast, JP Morrell has opted for a more conventional launch to his at-large bid. The former state senator cited his successful legislative efforts to end Jim Crow-era split juries and taxation on feminine and reproductive products – to name of the prominent bills he authored in Baton Rouge. As Morrell put it, “When it comes to delivering justice, we can’t wait for the right time – we can make change happen. As your advocate on City Council, I will stand with you in the fight for justice and equity.”

Qualifying begins on July 14. The election is Oct. 9. A runoff, if needed, will be held Nov. 13.

Christopher Tidmore goes into more depth on the recent machinations in the Council At-Large race on his radio show this week, airing Sunday 8-9 a.m. on WRNO 99.5FM and Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8-9 a.m. on WSLA 93.9FM/1560AM. Archived at www.thefoundersshow.com.

This article originally published in the June 28, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.