| Voter's Guide, 2021 Fall Elections, New Orleans
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| Position | Councilmembers District B | | Name | Lesli Harris | | Party Affiliation | Democrat | | Profession | Attorney | | Present Employer / position | Kelly Hart Pitre, Of Counsel | | Length of residence in Jurisdiction | 19 Years | | List of educational institutions and degrees | University of Virginia, B.A. (1997), Tulane Law School, J.D. (2002), New York University School of Law, LL.M. (2008) | | Prior elected and appointed positions | | | Civic involvement and affiliations | YAYA (Young Artists, Young Aspirations) - Board Member; New Orleans Bar Association - Board Member and Chair of Intellectual Property Section; Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Building Committee; Louis A. Martinet Legal Society - Member; New Orleans Industrial Development Board - Board Member |
Questions specific to the position
| 1. Do you feel like the wages for municipal employees, such as the NOFD and EMS are adequate, and if not, how do you propose raising them?
| No. We need to allocate budgetary funds to better pay our NOFD, EMS and NOPD workers. The City cut EMS and NOFD budgets by 18%, leaving gaps in services. We need to work with the state and federal government to lobby for additional funds and grants to support these critical agencies, especially given the impact of COVID-19 on the need for their services. | | 2. Will you support an ordinance to establish an independent external evaluation of the Ethics Review Board as called for in the Charter? Please explain your answer.
| Yes. Section 2-720 of the City Charter provides for external review of the Ethics Review Board every three years. As an attorney, I believe in following the rule of law and establishing processes to ensure compliance, competence, and effectiveness. | | 3. In your role as the regulatory body for Entergy, what factors would you consider to increase rates?
| First and foremost, I would consider the affordability and impact of a rate increase on the citizens of District B and New Orleans. New Orleanians should not pay unaffordable, increased rates while Entergy and Entergy's paid consultants profit. Entergy also needs to establish and promote energy efficiency programs to residents of the City. | | 4. Where is the best site for a new City Hall and why?
| The current City Hall building is located in the heart of the business district. The current site permits relatively easy access to the residents of New Orleans to the building. I would be in favor of temporarily relocating City Hall in order to construct a functioning, safe, code-compliant building at the current site. |
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