The six major candidates for New Orleans mayor gathered on a Loyola University stage Friday night, at a forum on how to tackle corruption and improve transparency in the way the city operates.
One issue-- ensuring a separation between the mayor's office and any potential city contracts.
"We've got to make it all open," said mayoral candidate Rob Couhig. "I have said from conception to completion we're going to invite the entire public and the Inspector General into the entire process."
It is a process that some mayoral candidates said needs reform, including finding a way to make sure that city contractors, abide in full with what their contract calls for them to do.
"The way you enforce it is you put legal provisions, in every contract, saying, 'if you're in violation of any ethical violations in the city, the contract is terminated right on the spot,'" said mayoral candidate John Georges.
There were also calls from several candidates to change some aspects of the city's charter.
"I think we have to reform the charter process because there aren't enough teeth to ensure that contracts are let out fairly and properly," said mayoral candidate James Perry.
"You just have to follow the rules," mayoral candidate Mitch Landrieu said, "and I think what people in the city expect is to know what the rules are, to have them applied equally and fairly and to enforce them."
There were also questions surrounding the controversial issue on what to do about the city's take home fleet of vehicles. Some candidates called for the removal of the take home car privileges.
"I believe in pool resources as opposed to having take home resources, unless it's absolutely necessary," said mayoral candidate Troy Henry. "It eliminates all of the abuse that can occur with folks just doing frivolous things with their company cars or their organizational cars."
All of the candidates, however, lauded the work of the Inspector General's office and called it a critical component in keeping corruption at bay within the city. One candidate went so far as to say she would put an internal Inspector General within the mayor's office.
"I am also willing to place in my administration, over the unclassified employees, a staff person, who if you will, will act as an internal inspector general, to look at ethical concerns, to address ethical questions that the staff of the city may have," said mayoral candidate Nadine Ramsey.
The candidates also responded to the question of whether they had ever had city contract. Rob Couhig, Mitch Landrieu and James Perry, all said they had never had a city contract. Nadine Ramsey said she had not, either, but added that she worked as an assistant city attorney in the mid-1990s. Troy Henry said he had a subcontract with the city for about nine thousand dollars. John Georges said he has never bid on a city contract, but does have an interest in a vending machine company-- which does have some vending machines located on city properties.
