New Orleans City Councilmember Brossett On Removal Of Confederate Monuments
NEW ORLEANS – District "D" New Orleans City Councilmember Jared C. Brossett released a statement Thursday, July 9, 2015, on the removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans:
"Today, my colleagues and I will put forth a motion to begin the process of discussing the removal of the City's confederate monuments. New Orleans is a City with a bright future. And with an eye to that future, it is time we look to symbols of unity and advancement, not division and stagnation. In that vein, and in the spirit of healing the racial tensions that continue to exist, it is time we take steps to remove monuments to the Confederacy. I am not under the delusion that replacing a statue or renaming a circle will instantaneously create harmony and equality. But it is a meaningful step. Symbols matter.
We must ask: what do we as a City stand for in 2015? As we near the 10th anniversary of Katrina, we continue to build our City back better than ever. On the horizon is the celebration of the 300th anniversary of New Orleans. What symbols do we want to present to the world and to ourselves?
We are and are going to continue to be a City where black, white, Hispanic and Asian, straight and gay, Uptown and Downtown, eastbank and westbank live side by side. Our monuments need to reflect what we are and what we want to be, not what this City has been at its worst. I am all in favor of taking this symbolic step. I look forward to our citizens having a civil, mutually respectful discussion during the democratic process. I believe together that we can move closer to living up to being the City of harmony and opportunity that we are striving to be."
The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of New Orleans city government. The Council considers and enacts all local laws that govern the City of New Orleans. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City, as recommended by the mayor, and continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The City Council is also the regulatory body for public utilities. It also reviews and has final say on many land use and zoning matters, as well as considers major economic development projects for the City. As a Board of Review for Orleans Parish, the Council examines appeals of property tax assessments for real estate taxes, and certifies tax rolls to the Louisiana Tax Commission. Other responsibilities of the Council include overseeing the operation of the public access television in Orleans Parish. Streaming video and video archives of the City Council's Regular and Committee meetings can be found on the City Council website.
The City Council is comprised of five districts and two councilmembers-at-large. Council President and Councilmember-at-Large Jason R. Williams; Council Vice President and Councilmember-at-Large Stacy Head; District "A" Councilmember Susan G. Guidry; District "B" Councilmember LaToya Cantrell; District "C" Councilmember Nadine M. Ramsey; District "D" Councilmember Jared C. Brossett; and District "E" Councilmember James Austin Gray II.
