[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6229866,"mediaKeyId","3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b","parentId",3446039,"title","Committee approves bill letting New Orleans Sewer & Water board elect its president, hire counsel and modernize governance language","audioSeconds",431,"startMs",4589000,"endMs",5020000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b&start=4589&end=5020","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b/thumbnail_4589000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6229866/Louisiana/Committee-approves-bill-letting-New-Orleans-Sewer-Water-board-elect-its-president-hire-counsel-and-modernize-governance-language","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229866-1fcbaab76ef1904602046ed53512374b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770794215&Signature=HyuxlWRStUMhWN3TI08vcxDMROXUulZYg2D3u78TDMzd2S5bANSojWWiyaiSIv-gkrhLBnPnIHI-vs89a88JFe0Foj7fPDxwlnNPNs9GlAOVIQXcL89JpXAuyrGSC70d8VW3SiEz4jV4NiIwk5yYrMtDMU8A0IoEOOd7yfWLDs8qYXpXkjzySDDDPeYp42T9Da6TeGO4sljQrTdd~yZKPpE~yUmg6uEbJ~F1g0L2H0jV7c1bL4H9oq2DIw-1wVVKt1wmAWQtNFQEmdfDQlgp9UMp~CElBOGQOlXY~7cTaJQ6KtDnPcx0vxlWXG-ZU60EH0hP89WxZ-z71m94ABq7Lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","article","The House committee approved amended legislation that updates several governance provisions for the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.

Under the amended bill, the board would be able to elect its own president rather than defaulting that role to the city mayor; the board would also have the option to retain independent legal counsel. The bill removes legacy statutory language that previously relieved the City of New Orleans from certain appropriation obligations for drainage maintenance.

Representative Hilferty, who carried the bill, said the amendments clarify longstanding ambiguities and modernize the board’s operating structure. The measure’s sponsors said the changes reflect how the board operates in practice and would give the board clearer authority over its internal leadership and legal representation.

Representative Newell raised a constitutional and home‑rule charter concern, noting that the New Orleans home‑rule charter includes specific provisions governing the city’s ability to retain special counsel and the structure of city boards. Newell asked that the committee allow time to obtain an opinion from the New Orleans city attorney; after discussion she withdrew a proposed amendment and the bill moved forward.

The committee adopted the amendments and voted to report the bill favorably. Sponsors and staff told members they would coordinate with the City of New Orleans on implementation details and any necessary further legal review.

Speakers included Representative Hilferty (bill carrier), Representative Newell (questions on home‑rule/charter), and departmental staff and counsel who explained the technical updates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Municipal May 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House committee approved amended legislation that would let the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board elect its own board president, retain independent counsel if it chooses, and remove an obsolete statutory exemption that relieved the city of certain drainage-appropriation obligations.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6229881,"Committee pauses bill allowing parishes to authorize commercial CPACE financing after hours of debate",3672,144000,3816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b&start=144&end=3816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b/thumbnail_144000.jpg","/articles/6229881/Louisiana/Committee-pauses-bill-allowing-parishes-to-authorize-commercial-CPACE-financing-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229881-ed55caa6cb429d5c0beb2adc23e54ec4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770794215&Signature=FS1wUlhur5n4B-56LCPOtItOeQG7ie8UGtb9NQAtk3WOopuuYid08RNnkF5cHqlqezDUVvOl4iFZERuzCa33jE0xj-BeWYry83RFSVI37TBBGfFnEXrS8b8DJFNiG5FHb5S8diXXz6x7p1iMt-wie4hBzw6V04NsP9mahCjltVtPDq5RMTFZeJB3m-YDK-jLPI~SKxqS9P41wXjTIO8RnPJDyBIQIwxFg2dOaVbUcFjdSEIPQuobQmtdx4Vg-wfrlSg-wX0dMPYe28X~6OGnUk8XOvaxHUVKy-tDwoLg-1urLWdxQaz0Un165JFyQQ99Y8-nANuOjiDkCkK7WyHy6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee members on the morning of the hearing took up House Bill 62, an enabling bill that would allow parish governing authorities to adopt commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure and resilience (CPACE) programs and collect voluntary assessments on tax bills for privately financed upgrades.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Tarver, and a slate of developers and private lenders described CPACE as a voluntary, private-market tool to close small gaps in the capital stack for large commercial renovations and resilience work. Banking groups and several local bankers argued the program would give PACE lenders a tax-collection advantage ahead of mortgage holders and warned of risks to lending markets and property marketability. At the author’s request the committee voted to defer HB 62 for two weeks.

HB 62 would not create a statewide program; the measure is enabling language that, if passed, lets each parish decide by local ordinance whether to allow commercial CPACE programs. Proponents said CPACE loans are private, long-term capital repaid through a voluntary property tax assessment on commercial parcels, often used to finance storm hardening, HVAC upgrades or energy-efficiency work that lenders and owners otherwise struggle to finance.

Representative Tarver introduced the bill as a local option. “It only opens the door and allows local governments to provide a mechanism for capital project financing using a voluntary property tax assessment,” he said. Proponents from the private sector described protections they say are standard in CPACE transactions: senior-lender consent, lender access to underwriting documents and a non‑acceleration feature that, they said, prevents the full CPACE balance from being called due by the PACE lender on default.

Gabby Gilboe of Nuveen, identified in testimony as a national CPACE provider, said the product has been used in roughly 40 states with more than $10 billion of CPACE capital deployed nationwide. “CPACE is an incredible economic development tool,” Gilboe said, adding that CPACE loans typically sit alongside a senior mortgage and require the bank’s consent.

Developers and local officials who testified described projects they said needed a relatively small, lower-cost tranche of financing to reach viability. “Market rate for mezzanine debt today is probably 12.5 percent,” developer John Noble told the committee. “Market rate for CPACE financing [is] probably in the range of 6.25 percent,” he said, arguing that a lower-cost second-market loan can allow resilient upgrades that reduce long-term operating costs.

Opposition testimony came largely from Louisiana’s banking industry. Joe Gendron of the Louisiana Bankers Association warned the committee that CPACE uses the tax-collection process to give a private lender recovery priority over mortgage holders. “We believe the whole concept of PACE loan programs is a misuse of the government's tax collection authority and just bad public policy,” Gendron said, adding that prior Louisiana law authorizing PACE-like programs had been repealed in 2016.

Local bankers echoed those concerns in testimony. Steve Crispino, a commercial banker from Houma, told the committee that banks are willing to take subordinate positions in private second-lien arrangements but not to be subordinated by statute to a tax-collection mechanism. “If a PACE loan doesn't get repaid and I have to foreclose, it still primes my mortgage every single year,” Crispino said.

Committee members asked about practical mechanics: whether CPACE assessments would be billed annually with property taxes, whether local governments would have to collect and remit payments or could outsource administration, and how defaults are handled at tax-sale. Proponents said local governments can cap administrative fees and often outsource billing and enforcement to third-party administrators; they also stressed that CPACE is intended to be voluntary and requires lender consent.

After extended questioning from members and public testimony spanning both advocates and banking opponents, the bill’s author asked the committee to defer HB 62 for two weeks to continue negotiations with stakeholders. The committee adopted the deferral at the author’s request.

The deferral means no statewide authorization will be enacted at this time; if the measure returns the committee could consider amendments addressing senior-lender protections, limits on assessments, administrative-fee caps, or explicit language on the mechanics of tax-billing and tax-sale priority.

Speakers included Representative Tarver (bill sponsor); Gabby Gilboe (Nuveen, CPACE provider); Dr. John Noble (developer, Lake Charles); Paul Rainwater (City of New Orleans representative); John Sullivan (Enterprise Community Partners Gulf Coast); Evan Boudreaux (St. Mary Parish Economic Development Authority); Joe Gendron (Louisiana Bankers Association); Steve Crispino (South Louisiana Bank); and David Bonino (Louisiana Bankers Association).\"","House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee members on the morning of the hearing took up House Bill 62, an enabling bill that would allow parish governing authorities to adopt commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure and resilience (CPACE) programs and collect voluntary assessments on tax bills for privately financed upgrades.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6229876,"Lieutenant governor’s museum director bill advances after debate over qualifications and local concerns",1825,4143000,5968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b&start=4143&end=5968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b/thumbnail_4143000.jpg","/articles/6229876/Louisiana/Lieutenant-governors-museum-director-bill-advances-after-debate-over-qualifications-and-local-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229876-d834a99f84ea1597c74a40a68e5b015d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770794215&Signature=Gb6XAU6WvI-My17D8W9CH7U7irqBo5rdnJelPlDp-U2lUxQFgCeOdzwIkQyZEGAYqxQB3G9A1ih0qfeYl0f7pFitlecSWbbNhZ2lsg~26Lp~NMfiEGbg0i7H2kYnVriihoOQZ87ARR7XFOIoWg94fKNQo2HB3YX54UOOzYlKLIIsjhP29WwEomKG~U177eJxnJufCJ0G7GDj~BCXHEEQ9p~2WhQqWQZ54VrL2ULvUi8spPbADak-QLB43ZAKSlgHfQl1YT1w3fk5CGbP4YE9uQ12mu8pTz~OdKCs6ZiZbEbLnxxKYTOjo77B1oz3gJFkIY4mJIvDxd8fhWvv4LJBxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee voted to report two museum-related measures after debate that focused on leadership qualifications, board appointments and local concerns about authority over state-owned properties.

House Bill 108 would amend the statutory qualification for the Louisiana State Museum director so that the position could be filled by a candidate who either holds a master’s degree in museum studies or demonstrates equivalent museum leadership experience. Senate Bill 210 contains related changes to the museum board’s composition and administrative provisions. Both measures advanced from committee after discussion and roll-call votes.

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, who oversees the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, told the committee he and the department wanted flexibility to recruit candidates with deep museum leadership and facilities-management experience even if they do not hold the specialized master’s degree that current law requires. “We found someone that has a lot of museum experience, but doesn't have the degree,” the lieutenant governor said, explaining that the law has narrowed the eligible pool. Julia George, general counsel for the department, added that there are only a dozen or so museum-studies master’s programs nationwide and that the department must staff a 10-museum system and prepare for accreditation.

The museum board chair, Daryl Gissel, told members the board conducted a broad search and selected a candidate with 17 years of executive-level museum experience. “Her time there in the last 2–3 months has been transformative for the museum system,” Gissel said.

Representative RoseAnn Knox and other members expressed concerns about process and possible preferential treatment. Knox said the bill appeared to have been tailored for a named candidate and asked for additional conversations with the lieutenant governor’s office. “When you validated what I said previously, that this bill is created for her,” Knox said, questioning whether the committee should act without more outreach to local stakeholders.

Julia George said the department and museum board had already followed public selection procedures and that the change would help retain a qualified director while broadening the candidate pool in future searches. The committee also considered related amendments that would update museum names, modernize references (for example, to the American Alliance of Museums), and clarify trust-management provisions recommended by the legislative auditor.

House Bill 108 passed the committee on a roll-call vote; the measure will proceed to the House floor. The committee also moved Senate Bill 210, with amendments adopted in committee, to the legislature’s next stage.

Speakers and witnesses included Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser; Julia George, general counsel for the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; Daryl Gissel, chair of the State Museum Board; and Representative RoseAnn Knox (who requested further meetings).","The House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee voted to report two museum-related measures after debate that focused on leadership qualifications, board appointments and local concerns about authority over state-owned properties.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6229871,"Bill to let state deploy limited fiscal administrators to troubled local governments advances",0,5956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b&start=5956&end=5956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446039-d57b9227b3cdc8cc3b8b256a3f194f8b/thumbnail_5956000.jpg","/articles/6229871/Louisiana/Bill-to-let-state-deploy-limited-fiscal-administrators-to-troubled-local-governments-advances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229871-62420615891c67a29fb1152b2f8ec728/orig.mp4?Expires=1770794215&Signature=nv8VOMbMRzUO4CBbIrsZ6avcTgm-on3WPWRUnixDWw7kpLIqUiTMcfLiMyAkT7-o8fzKOz1iiet3LNqAJ8SLvQsDsDCYk3RW206PFwdZht~YDVr7C8Uz-feWuXpL21T~NeOoy~0J0aC9aJbEvQraK-f9jd4Z-ex8MPNoNu4hxsWEZoV-hr34p-u~OnCJrOtuQ5e82y~kO23iAzwc1kRtOaCSoyLI57EFjCmdqpLghU8uz4C5nD8qj~vvXZ~K4DKJfKOxiljF9X1ggcAlJGZVIGXpKDfLV6wEkJPDb~UwTz0eRRJ1yoQ07w9if2kfa5m6RuCAqFHmkEtEIFgX3wgT5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 54, considered in the committee, would permit the state to appoint a limited fiscal administrator to a political subdivision (municipality, hospital district, etc.) to correct discrete budgetary or reporting failures without imposing a full fiscal-administration takeover.

Senator Mizell, who presented the bill to the committee, said the measure responds to repeated cases in small, rural jurisdictions where local financial shortfalls and missed audits escalate until the state must seek a full fiscal administrator through litigation. The bill is intended to allow earlier, narrowly tailored state intervention to right the books and preserve local governance.

Larry Freeman, representing the Attorney General’s Office, said the office supports the bill and emphasized that fiscal administration is remedial, not punitive. “Fiscal administration is not a punishment. It is a help,” Freeman said, adding that current law often requires entities to reach near‑bankruptcy before the state can intervene. Michael Wagas from the Legislative Auditor’s office described how a limited administrator could provide short-term technical assistance and oversight that is faster and cheaper than a full takeover.

Committee members asked whether the measure could be used in places that already have a fiscal administrator, how a limited administrator’s powers would be scoped, and whether the parish or local government could seek release once the finances are stabilized. Witnesses said the limited approach would be designed to be temporary, targeted and used with consent where possible, but that court action could still be pursued if the locality refused.

The committee voted to report the bill favorably after members said it would help avoid costly, protracted legal fights and allow quicker remediation in rural communities with strained administrative capacity.

Speakers included Senator Mizell (bill sponsor), Larry Freeman (Attorney General’s Office), Michael Wagas (Legislative Auditor), and supportive local officials and police jurors.","Senate Bill 54 would let the state place a limited fiscal administrator—targeted at specific financial problems—into troubled political subdivisions before a full fiscal takeover is necessary. The attorney general and legislative auditor said the change would let the state act earlier to stabilize small municipalities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves bill letting New Orleans Sewer & Water board elect its president, hire counsel and modernize governance language

Committee pauses bill allowing parishes to authorize commercial CPACE financing after hours of debate

Lieutenant governor’s museum director bill advances after debate over qualifications and local concerns

Bill to let state deploy limited fiscal administrators to troubled local governments advances