Council Member Joe Giarrusso
Mayor-elect Helena Moreno this week is expected to tap City Council Budget Chairman Joe Giarrusso to become the next Chief Administrative Officer of New Orleans, sources close to the situation said.
The CAO is one of the most powerful positions in city government, overseeing the day to day operations of the various departments and agencies.
Although Giarrusso declined to comment, multiple sources familiar with Moreno’s transition plans said she could make an announcement Dec. 2. The move has also been the subject of rumors in City Hall for weeks as Moreno, who currently serves as the council’s vice president, puts together her leadership team.
Giarrusso has served as the council member from District A for two terms. Although he had been widely expected to run for an at large seat this year, in 2024 he announced he would instead step away from politics in January and move back into the private sector. But with New Orleans government facing huge budget deficits, he’s now expected to stay in government to help the new administration get the city on more stable financial footing.
Transitioning from council budget chairman to CAO could be an advantage for Giarrusso, as the city’s financial problems will continue to be a top priority for the incoming administration and City Council. Giarrusso was a key player in the city’s efforts to secure a $125 million short-term loan after Mayor LaToya Cantrell‘s administration admitted this fall that it would be unable to pay employees through the end of the year. And as budget chairman and a member of Moreno’s transition effort, he’s had a hand in shaping her spending plans for next year.
Still, it won’t be an easy job. While the council passed the 2026 budget Dec. 1 that included significant cuts to a variety of programs, it will likely be only the first step towards fixing the city’s finances. How that will happen is still very much up in the air, since nobody, including those in the current administration, sems to know how the city got into its budget mess, much less how to get out of it without painful, long-term cuts.
