The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority board is experiencing a paralysis in its ability to conduct business due to the lack of a legal quorum. This is the second time this year that the board has been unable to perform its duties, following a change in legislation and the aftermath of a contracting scandal. As reported by WGNO, the board's effective operation has been stalled by the resignation of several members and the subsequent implementation of new governance laws.
Earlier this year, a scandal involving unauthorized payments had surfaced when The Times-Picayune uncovered that an Regional Transit Authority official had approved approximately $1 million to a contractor without the board's consent. Following this revelation, according to the same WWLTV report, all three Jefferson Parish members, along with the city's representative Sunni LeBeouf, resigned, depleting the board's legal capacity to make decisions. These departures have placed the Regional Transit Authority in a prolonged state of inactivity.
Laws passed subsequent to this scandal changed how the Regional Transit Authority is governed. Act 402, which allowed for local governments to withdraw from the Regional Transit Authority, was joined by Act 474, reducing the board from eight members to seven and altering the commissioner selection process. AP News details how these legislative adjustments were part of the response to the earlier contracting issues.
Jefferson Parish responded expediently to the new legislation, with Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng indicating a desire to pull out from the Regional Transit Authority board. Not soon after the enabling legislation came into effect, the Parish Council took steps to initiate its withdrawal. Missing their involvement, it left the board scrambling, with only four remaining members - well below the required number for a quorum - making it impossible for the full board to meet since early August.
The new law places the responsibility on New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell or the New Orleans City Council to appoint two new members to fill the gaps. However, there has been no movement on this front, and the board remains incapacitated. Sandra Thomas, chief of staff for Councilmember Eugene Green, expressed that the Council is actively soliciting resumes for potential board members, intending to revitalize the governing body. Nevertheless, as things stand, the Regional Transit Authority's governing vessel remains anchored, unable to set sail toward the resolution of the city's transit needs and challenges.
