NEW ORLEANS — For weeks, City Council members and the Mayor’s Office have been sparring over the cause of the

“The council added millions to a budget that was already balanced,” Mayor Cantrell lobbed at council members during a budget meeting earlier this month.

This past week, the state’s Legislative Auditor released an . The 200-plus page report provides a closer look at the source of the deficit and presents suggestions for what the city’s leaders can do next.

Credit: WWLTV

For example, the audit warns the city’s pension fund is dangerously underfunded. It said there may not be enough money to deliver promised retirement benefits in the future without pulling from the general fund or changing benefits.

The report will likely be raised at City Hall this week as council members begin

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