Question 1: As Mayor, how will you demonstrate leadership regarding water and the environment?

New Orleans cannot afford to treat water and the environment as afterthoughts. They must be the foundation of how we govern. As Mayor, I will lead by example and set standards for every public service to integrate environmental responsibility. That begins with infrastructure: we will direct the remaining $600 million in Hurricane Katrina relief funds into flood protection, drainage upgrades, and hurricane hardening, while ensuring projects use green infrastructure like permeable pavement, rain gardens, and modern pump systems.

Public Works will not only fix streets; it will also be a training ground for residents through a scholarship pipeline that builds careers in stormwater management, environmental engineering, and green construction. I will also move to return Entergy New Orleans to a true public utility, where profits are reinvested into solar, microgrids, and battery storage so that clean energy lowers bills while cutting emissions.

Enforcement will matter too: the Department of Safety & Permits will be held accountable to fully enforce the state’s Energy Code, with proper staffing and quarterly public reports on compliance. Transparency is key and residents will be able to track progress on a public dashboard showing flood-risk reduction, energy efficiency, including environmental impact in real time. By embedding environmental leadership directly into public services, New Orleans can move from reactive crisis management to proactive stewardship. This approach will create jobs, strengthen neighborhoods, and prove that sustainability is not an abstract goal but a practical path to survival and prosperity for our city.

Question 2: Prior to Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was supposed to be honestly protected against a 1 in 200 to 1 in 300 year storm (roughly Hurricane Katrina for New Orleans).  It was not.  After Hurricane Katrina exactly no one said this City deserved a lower level but more robust level of protection, but that is what we have.  As Mayor, what will you do to increase our hurricane storm risk reduction to at least the level we were supposed to have had pre-storm?

Hurricane Katrina exposed the devastating truth that New Orleans was never given the level of protection we were promised. Prior to the storm, we were supposed to have defenses against a 1-in-200 to 1-in-300 year storm, yet the system failed catastrophically. Today, nearly two decades later, our protections still fall short. More robust in design but at a lower overall standard than what was pledged.

As Mayor, I will fight to restore the original promise of true Category 5 protection by pushing for federal accountability while taking bold local action. That means prioritizing the $600 million in unspent Hurricane Katrina relief funds for levee hardening, pump modernization, and coastal restoration projects that reduce surge risk. It means using the power of the city to demand faster action from the Army Corps of Engineers and ensuring transparency in how protection projects are funded, staffed, and delivered. But beyond waiting on Washington, I will invest in neighborhood-scale resilience; microgrids, community solar, green infrastructure, and backup water systems, so that even if larger defenses are tested, residents are not left in the dark or underwater.

My administration will publish an annual Storm Risk Report Card showing where we stand and what progress is being made, because accountability builds trust. This is about survival, but it is also about justice: New Orleans deserves the level of protection it was promised, not less. I will not accept anything lower than what our people are owed.

Question 3: New Orleans has underfunded or unfunded needs in the areas of disaster preparedness, hazard mitigation and disaster resilience. Under your leadership, how will the City secure the resources necessary to meet those needs?

New Orleans knows better than most cities that disaster preparedness is not optional; it is survival. Yet year after year, critical needs in hazard mitigation and resilience remain underfunded or ignored. Under my leadership, we will secure resources through a multi-pronged strategy.

First, we will aggressively pursue federal funds already on the table: HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Mitigation Program, FEMA’s BRIC program, and Army Corps funding while holding those agencies accountable for timely disbursement.

Second, we will redirect local dollars more effectively: the $600 million in unspent Hurricane Katrina relief funds must be invested now in levee hardening, pump station upgrades, and stormwater management projects.

Third, we will create new revenue streams by taxing AI data centers and other high-impact industries for their environmental footprint, dedicating those funds to climate resilience. Fourth, we will restructure city departments to cut waste and duplication, freeing dollars for preparedness rather than bureaucracy. But this cannot stop at infrastructure.

My administration will train and employ residents in hazard mitigation skills; tree planting, green infrastructure, microgrid management, emergency response, so resilience also means jobs and equity. Finally, we will ensure transparency through a public dashboard showing every dollar spent and every project underway. By combining federal leverage, local reallocation, new revenue sources, and community-driven workforce programs, New Orleans will not just secure the resources we need; we will prove that disaster preparedness and resilience are the backbone of a safer, stronger, and more just city.

Question 4: As Mayor, what will you do to ensure that the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board has the funding, resources and equipment, trained personnel and the “can do” culture to carry out its essential functions?

The Sewerage and Water Board has long been a symbol of frustration for residents underfunded, understaffed, and plagued by outdated equipment. Yet it is also one of the most essential agencies for our survival.

As Mayor, I will overhaul the way the Board operates, starting with funding. I will push to merge the Sewerage and Water Board into a consolidated Department of Infrastructure & Utilities, ending the era of finger-pointing between agencies. This will allow us to pool resources, cut redundant costs, and direct more dollars to drainage, pumping, and water quality. We will leverage unspent federal recovery dollars, FEMA resilience funds, and new local revenue streams; such as taxing high-impact industries like AI data centers to build a long-term capital improvement plan. But resources alone are not enough; we must also invest in people.

My administration will launch a Public Works Scholarship Program, training New Orleanians in plumbing, electrical work, and hydrology, so we grow a pipeline of skilled workers who can rebuild and maintain our infrastructure while earning living wages. To address equipment failures, we will modernize pump stations, expand backup power capacity, and build redundancy into the system so one failure does not paralyze the city.

Finally, culture matters: I will set performance standards tied to real outcomes: streets that drain, pumps that work, water that’s clean and publish progress on a public dashboard so residents see accountability in action. By aligning funding, equipment, personnel, and culture under a unified structure, we can turn the Sewerage and Water Board from a liability into a model of resilience and competence.

Question 5: Flood protection and the provision of a safe and secure water supply is increasingly a regional challenge, as Mayor how will you engage with officials in other parishes and in state government to develop and implement long-term solutions to those challenges?

Water does not stop at parish lines, and neither do the risks of flooding or the demands of providing a secure water supply. As Mayor, I will treat flood protection and water safety as regional responsibilities that require regional cooperation. That means engaging directly with parish presidents, levee boards, and state agencies to build a unified strategy for storm surge defense, drainage, and drinking water systems.

I will push for the creation of a Regional Water and Flood Protection Council, where New Orleans sits alongside Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and other parishes to coordinate projects, share data, and prevent duplication of efforts. At the state level, I will work with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) to ensure that New Orleans is fully integrated into the state’s coastal master plan, while demanding faster federal-state action on levee hardening and river management.

Funding must be shared fairly; I will advocate for greater allocation of FEMA BRIC funds, HUD mitigation dollars, and Gulf Coast Restoration funds to regional projects, not just isolated city fixes. But collaboration also means leadership: New Orleans will set the standard by piloting innovations like community microgrids, green stormwater infrastructure, and regional water storage that can be scaled across parishes.

Finally, I will commit to transparency by publishing all agreements and progress on a public dashboard so residents know where money is going and which projects are moving forward. By building partnerships across parish and state lines, New Orleans can lead in shaping a resilient, regional water future, because only together can we secure the protection and resources our people deserve.

Question 6: As Mayor, will you support a city-wide drainage fee? Y/N

YES

Question 7: As Mayor, what will you do to prepare the City to deal with, avoid, and mitigate the impacts of sea level rise and coastal land loss?

Sea level rise and coastal land loss are existential threats to New Orleans, and as Mayor I will treat them with the urgency they demand. Our city cannot survive on levees alone. We must build a layered defense that combines strong infrastructure, restored natural barriers, and community-level resilience.

First, I will fight for the federal and state commitments we were promised, pushing the Army Corps and CPRA to raise protection standards and integrate new climate data into every project. Second, I will ensure New Orleans leads in coastal restoration, advocating for wetlands, marshes, and barrier islands that absorb storm surge and slow erosion. Locally, we will update zoning and building codes so new construction accounts for future flood projections, with stronger elevation requirements and incentives for green infrastructure like permeable streets and stormwater parks. At the neighborhood level, we will invest in resilience hubs, microgrids, and rain capture systems to keep residents safe even when larger defenses are tested.

Funding will come from aggressively pursuing FEMA BRIC and HUD mitigation dollars, dedicating unspent Katrina recovery funds, and creating new local revenue sources such as resilience impact fees and taxing high-impact industries. To ensure accountability, I will publish an annual Sea-Level Rise and Resilience Report Card so residents can track progress by district. Finally, I will make this a regional fight, working hand-in-hand with Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes to build a united front for coastal defense. By combining federal leverage, local innovation, and community empowerment, we can prepare for sea level rise and coastal loss while creating jobs and restoring trust that New Orleans can and will endure.

Question 8: The greatest natural hazard facing the City is not hurricanes or river flooding but rain.  As Mayor, what will you do to increase the City’s ability to handle large rain events and to recover from them when they occur?

The greatest hazard we face in New Orleans is not always hurricanes but rain. Ordinary storms that overwhelm pumps, flood streets, and damage homes. As Mayor, I will make stormwater management a core priority. First, we will modernize Sewerage & Water Board pumps with new turbines, backup power, and real-time monitoring so a single breakdown does not cripple entire neighborhoods. Second, we’ll redesign the city to hold water where it falls: permeable pavement, rain gardens, stormwater parks, and bioswales that absorb instead of flood. Third, I’ll direct $600M in unspent Katrina funds and aggressively pursue FEMA BRIC and HUD mitigation grants to scale these projects. Fourth, I will scholarship residents into trade jobs that train our community directly to maintain drains, restore green infrastructure, and respond quickly after heavy rain events, earning living wages while protecting the city. Finally, every project will be tracked on a public dashboard, so residents see progress, accountability, and results.

Question 9: The availability and cost of insurance is a growing problem for homeowners and businesses which makes it a problem for the City.  What can the City do to make insurance more available and affordable?

When the City of New Orleans wins, the entire state wins. That’s why my administration will take bold steps to tackle the insurance crisis and rebuild our economy from the ground up. First, we need to lower risk, because insurance costs are driven by risk. I will direct the $600 million in unspent Hurricane Katrina relief funds into flood mitigation, drainage improvements, and hurricane hardening projects. We need real investments that move our FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) score from the current ~15% discount toward Class 5 (≈25%) and eventually Class 3 (≈35%), delivering automatic savings on NFIP flood premiums. But we need more than fortified roofs! We need whole neighborhoods built to resilient standards, enforced by code, and supported by green infrastructure.

To address affordability, I will legislate an AI Tax (with state partners) on high-impact data centers, dedicating the revenue to both insurance relief and property tax stabilization. To close the city’s $100M deficit, we will create a Bitcoin Reserve, because if we had invested $30M last year at $40,000 per coin, it would be worth over $86M today, with profits that could have gone to schools, housing, and resilience. At the same time, I will push to convert Entergy New Orleans into a true public utility—returning profits to residents, building microgrids, and cutting bills—while merging the Sewerage & Water Board with Public Works to eliminate duplication and finally treat infrastructure as serious business, not politics as usual. A Twiggs Administration will also leverage infrastructure jobs as a scholarship pipeline, training our own people in plumbing, electrical, and hydrology so that residents (not outside contractors) rebuild this city. By lowering risk, creating new revenue streams, enforcing accountability, and investing in our people, we can make insurance more affordable, grow our economy, and prove that when New Orleans wins, everyone in Louisiana wins.