NEW ORLEANS — It was one year ago today LaToya Cantrell was sworn-in as mayor of New Orleans, and during that time she's had some ups and downs.
At the NOPD, Cantrell decide to keep Michael Harrison as a police chief. During his time, violent crime saw historic lows. When he decided to leave, she made a quick decision to hire from within headquarters.
Shaun Ferguson is the new chief. Violent crime continues to decrease, but there are some increases in terms of property crime.
You might be seeing more and more bike lanes pop up around town, as well, like the one on N. Broad Street. It used to be reserved just for cars, but with a new transportation department in the city, expect more of these types of changes as well.
At the Sewerage & Water Board, Cantrell inherited a huge mess from her predecessors but it's safe to say she's tackling this problem head-on.
She hired a new Executive Director and just yesterday got the agency $50 million to start paying it's backlog of bills and, if the rest that plan goes through, the city could be getting another $26 million a year to make repairs to drainage and the streets.
At City Hall, some crucial decisions from Cantrell haven't been popular, it's safe to say.
Take, for example, the decision to lower the speed for getting a ticket in a school zone. There's also the trip she took to Cuba that was not publicize that led some critics to say her and administration is less than transparent -- something they're quick to push back against.
There's also been a tense relationship with City Council, and that could dictate how the rest of her term goes.
As Eyewitness News Political Analyst Clancy DuBos says, time will tell what becomes after this first, historic year.