Mayor Cantrell’s frequent international travel raises questions for New Orleans taxpayers

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is overseas again and it’s unclear when she will return.

Cantrell’s office said Saturday (May 11) that following last week’s trip for a conference in Montreal, Cantrell has traveled to Qatar to take part in an economic forum and discussions on climate change.

Since May 2023, Cantrell has taken at least six international trips, visiting South Korea, France, Africa, Dubai, Canada and Qatar.

“I think what we’re seeing now is genuine questions being asked, with the frequency of travel, regarding what’s the purpose and is it absolutely necessary and in the city’s best interest?” said Fox 8 political analyst Mike Sherman.

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The mayor’s travel expenses have been the subject of several Fox 8 investigations. In November 2023, the Louisiana Board of Ethics charged Cantrell with violating the city’s travel policy, racking up nearly $29,000 in first-class upgrades, which she eventually paid back.

New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green says accepting some invitations to events, both domestic and abroad, falls under the duty of the mayor.

“You don’t want to be a city where your chief executive officer doesn’t respond at all and doesn’t ever attend an event to which she’s been invited,” Green said.

Cheron Brylski worked as former mayor Dutch Morial’s press secretary in the 1980s. She says travel is not usually a red flag for the mayor.

“All mayors tend to travel in their second term,” Brylski said. “That’s not unusual. I think the level of her traveling, especially to forums that aren’t necessarily sponsored by the US Conference of Mayors or the National League of Cities … These are beyond that.”

Brylski says Cantrell touts these trips as opportunities to show her expertise on environmental and public safety issues. But some residents aren’t satisfied with how the mayor handles those issues at home.

“Sometimes, the benefits aren’t immediately tangible,” Green said. “But, as in the case of the delegation for Orleans (France), sometimes it takes a bit of time, but it does have something that is a benefit to the city.”

Green says he doesn’t believe the mayor’s international travel leaves her disconnected from city challenges, such as Monday night’s severe weather threat. He says Cantrell is a phone call away, despite time zone differences, and that major responsibilities are typically delegated among City Hall staff.

“I don’t need to talk to the mayor to be able to determine what’s emergency preparedness,” Green said. “The chief executive officer of the city has certain responsibilities built into the city charter. But the charter also allows for people in certain areas to be hired who can address those areas.”

Brylski says Cantrell is a strong mayor, like many that held the job before her.

“That is what our city charter enables her to be,” Brylski said. “Unfortunately, by leaving the city so much, she’s created a power vacuum. So, you see the governor, the legislature, the City Council, boards and commissions jumping in to fill this vacuum, whether they’re doing it in the public’s interest or self-interest.”

Cantrell’s office has not said when she will be back in town or whether the overseas trip was funded exclusively by taxpayers. Fox 8 has submitted records requests seeking those answers.

The mayor’s public schedules from November 2023-March 2024 show Cantrell spent more than 30 days of that five-month span traveling domestic or internationally.