New Orleans’ $160 million budget deficit is forcing city leaders to make difficult financial choices, and now some councilmembers say the state needs to be part of the solution.

During Monday’s budget hearings, every department was asked to present how it would operate under a 30 percent reduction, a planning exercise designed to show how deep potential cuts could go. Officials clarified that those reductions are not final and will depend on the final 2026 budget adopted later this year. Advertisement

The Office of Economic Development’s presentation highlighted the city’s challenge. Its proposed 2026 budget totals about $24 million, a sharp increase from just under one million this year. Director Jeffrey Schwartz told councilmembers that the larger number doesn’t represent new spending

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