New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu used his final State of the City address Thursday night to highlight achievements, ongoing problems and what the city should do next.
Landrieu recalled his first inaugural address seven years ago. City coffers were in the red and violent crime was the top concern.
He says the city is now in the black, and has its highest-ever credit rating.
He'll focus his final year in office on crime, with plans to increase the ranks of the New Orleans Police Department. He called on the public to help.
“It’s not the Syrian refugee. It’s not the undocumented immigrant. The murder, the carjacker, the robber, the drug dealer, the drug overdoser -- these are our sons and daughters,” he said.
He also launched a new plan to fight climate change at the local level, despite the federal administration's move to pull out of the Paris climate accords.
“We will release our own climate action strategy which includes 25 specific actions that will cut emission in half by 2030 while also – while also – creating new jobs for the future," he said
Landrieu will announce details of his climate plan today.
And …… the traffic jams aren't over.
“We have planned and funded over $400 million in street repairs and infrastructure per year for the next five years," he said.
Those repairs are part of the city's Capital Improvement project, funded with FEMA money. Landrieu says he will press incoming mayoral and council candidates to outline just how THEY will pay for programs.
