NO Councilwoman says sanitation director lied about contract
From Sunshine Review
12 November 2008
Things became heated at a New Orleans City Council budget hearing, leading Sanitation Director Veronica White to storm out of the room. The eruption happened when Councilwoman Stacy Head accused White of withholding information on the garbage service contract, which White was there to justify.[1]
Info requested
Head said that for most of 2008, she had been asking for a list from White, detailing the number of addresses served by the sanitation department, which is crucial in determining the cost of garbage collection. Council President Jackie Clarkson and previous meeting minutes confirm White previously testified that such a list was not available. However, at the November 11 hearing, White said she receives monthly updates on how many addresses are served, with the number currently at 106,500.
Head became furious, saying this was exactly the information she had been requesting for months. She is concerned that the city is paying contractors based on the 106,500 addresses, which she thinks is much too high. When asked to explain the estimate, White said she would "reserve my comments for the inspector general." Events escalated from there, leading to White's departure.
Sanitation budget
White was at the hearing to explain why the city of New Orleans was paying $31 million for sanitation services, when Jefferson Parish's is only $18.5. She said that the city's service is better, and that it includes the French Quarter, where garbage pick-up is expensive.
References
- ↑ The Times-Picayune, New Orleans City Councilwoman Stacy Head accuses sanitation director of lying about garbage contract, November 12, 2008
