After weeks of criticism, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell now says she will have to pay the city back nearly $30,000 in first-class flight upgrades.
After a city attorney was brought in to answer several questions, the attorney said he would enforce a city policy requiring all city employees to seek the lowest fares available or reimburse the city for deluxe accommodations.
At a groundbreaking for a new YWCA facility, Mayor Cantrell said she would move forward with reimbursing the city.
Originally the mayor pushed back on reimbursement requests, saying she had no intentions of paying back taxpayer money spent on first-class flight tickets overseas, claiming the upgrades were for her health and safety.
Council members threatened to dock Mayor Cantrell’s pay starting in 2023.
