The long-disputed Wisner Trust saga seems to have reached its final chapter after Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese ruled in favor of the New Orleans City Council. The court granted two motions for summary judgment that the Council had been contending for years, as reported by the New Orleans City Council's own newsroom yesterday.
The first motion determined that the trust, which was argued to have been improperly extended in 2020, had indeed expired back on August 4, 2014. The second, took a firm stance in line with the original intent attributed to Edward Wisner in the 1914 agreement, effectively stripping the claim of ownership from the heirs, the Salvation Army, Tulane University, and Louisiana State University in favor of the City of New Orleans. This decision reaffirmed the city's sole ownership of the property held under the trust, according to New Orleans City Council records.
"This trust was inappropriately extended in 2020, and ownership of the property formerly held in trust belongs entirely to the City of New Orleans," stated Budget Chair and District A Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, in a testament to the council's legal victory, sourced from the New Orleans City Council announcement. The legal triumph was also embraced by City Council Vice President Helena Moreno who, detailed the council's solitary struggle and resolution in securing what she believed to be the people's rights.
City Council President JP Morrell was quoted in the New Orleans City Council press release, saying, "After 11 years of litigation, the never-ending Wisner saga is finally coming to a resolution." He was forthright in his hailing of the judgment as a monumental win for both the council, and the citizens of New Orleans. District B Councilmember Lesli Harris also lauded the outcome, thanking the budget chair and legal team for their unyielding commitment to protecting public interests. Furthermore, Councilmember Freddie King III of District C voiced his appreciation for the team effort that led to this point, characterizing the ruling as clarity long overdue.
Regarding the implications for governance, District D Councilmember Eugene Green hailed the ruling as a victory for transparency and accountability, firmly supporting his conviction that the Wisner Trust's duration and intentions had been validated by the court's decision. The sentiments were echoed by District E Councilmember Oliver Thomas who acknowledged this as an important step in honoring the trust's founding aims, and who gave kudos to their chairman and attorneys for their steadfast resolution.
