NEW ORLEANS — A top official with the City of New Orleans is resigning after strongly opposing the city’s decision to turn on school zone speed cameras even though details haven’t been completed to comply with a new state law.
Thomas “Tom” Mulligan, deputy chief administrative officer since 2022, highlighted the disagreement in his resignation letter tendered Tuesday. His final day will be Aug. 30.
In accepting Mulligan’s resignation, the city wrote that it overrode his opinion in order to enhance safety for returning students, even though the new state-mandated cost-sharing guidelines with individual schools has yet to be worked out.
Instead, the money being collecting from tickets is now being held in escrow until cooperative endeavor agreements with the schools are completed.
Mulligan joined City Hall in 2022, replacing former deputy CAO Peter Bowen after he was fired following a DWI arrest.
Mulligan is perhaps best known for his clean-up of the city’s formerly scandal-plagued safety and permits office. More recently, he helped push a city code enforcement initiative to accelerate fines and spark either remediation or demolition of the city’s most prominent dilapidated buildings, identifying the structures as the “Dirty Dozen.”
In the announcement of Mulligan’s departure, the city wrote:
Mulligan extended his thanks to Mayor Cantrell for the opportunity to serve as a part of the Administration and for supporting important initiatives that he positively undertook within the Office of Business & External Services.
Mulligan stated that it was especially gratifying to work alongside the many dedicated employees of the City of New Orleans who work hard every day on behalf of all of us who call this extraordinary city home.”
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