Call it the off-target plan.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu is moving away from predecessor Ray Nagin’s recovery strategy of pushing projects in 17 “target zones” across the city.
“Frankly, it was a previous administration’s plan,” mayoral spokesman Ryan Berni said.
Berni acknowledged today that Landrieu has yet to finish his own recovery plan. His administration is assessing the 655 projects that Nagin began, but until more is known, it is tough to talk about a cohesive strategy, Berni said.
Since taking office in May, Landrieu has been clear that the city needs to rethink its $1.5 billion rebuilding plan – mainly because it has only about $1.2 to do the work promised by Nagin.
At his first State of the City address this afternoon, Landrieu provided few clues about how he planned to solve that problem, but he encouraged residents to join him in exploring ways the city can live within its budget.
“So, while it is true that we have inherited a myriad of problems and City Hall is dysfunctional, it is also true that we own it now,” he said. “All of us, together.”