Cantrell, administration officials began meeting with Mastercard, MoCaFi and Ignite Cities to develop the Crescent City Card a year before publicly requesting bids for the project.
A majority of a council committee voted to defer the ordinance. But it appears it will still go before the full council as early as next week.
The city’s Chief Procurement Officer said that the administration received new information that warranted a reconsideration of the city’s stance on the bid-rigging allegations.
The motions approved Thursday urge prosecutors to file formal charges against the mayor's chief of staff and director of intergovernmental relations.
The city was attempting to block a subpoena issued as part of the City Council's investigation into the abandoned 'smart cities' project.
The order is only temporary until the full hearing, which is scheduled for next week.
The suit comes the day after Councilwoman Helena Moreno initiated motions to hold three officials in contempt for failing to respond to subpoenas.
After missing a deadline, the Cantrell administration now plans to comply with the subpoenas.
Under a new plan, the city will prioritize finishing all roadwork currently underway, rather than rushing to spend everything by August 2023.
The city insisted on a specific equipment manufacturer for a WiFi contract. The company had previous dealings with firms and city employees at the center of the smart cities investigation.
