'Change the locks': New Orleans City Council ends mayoral use of Pontalba apartment

New Orleans mayors will no longer have access to a city-controlled apartment in Jackson Square after City Council members on Thursday quashed Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s veto of an ordinance ending the longtime perk.

With a 5-2 vote, the City Council upheld a measure requiring that the French Market Corp., which operates the Upper Pontalba on behalf of the city, put Unit 530B on the second floor of the historic building up for lease.

Unlike a measure passed earlier this year that simply banned “overnight stays” in the luxury apartment, this one was explicit in its directives.

“Secure and clean the apartment, change the locks, and offer the apartment for lease to individuals already listed on the building’s waiting list,” a motion attached to the ordinance said.

The veto override, which came two days after the burial of Cantrell's husband, was immediately slammed by her spokesperson as part of a “vendetta” against the mayor. Nevertheless, it marked a turning point in the yearlong political saga sparked by Cantrell’s stays in the apartment.

Council President JP Morrell, who authored the measure, said it was long past time that the apartment be returned to commerce.

"The idea that the Mayor of the City of New Orleans should be entitled to a free apartment with no rent, no insurance, no Sewerage and Water Board bill really exposes a disconnect between the universe this administration lives in and the struggles of everyday New Orleanians," Morrell said.

King sides with Morrell

Morrell was responding to Cantrell spokesperson Gregory Joseph's pitched criticism of the council in a briefing shortly after the vote.

“It's unfortunate that we have this council that doesn't really want to work with this administration, that would rather take time away from the actual pressing issues that face the city of New Orleans to just act on pure personal petty politics,” Joseph said.

District C Council member Freddie King's vote to override the veto is what ultimately allowed the measure to become law.

The override needed five of seven votes to succeed. King missed the 4-2 vote on the ordinance earlier this month, but joined with Council members Helena Moreno, Joe Giarrusso, Lesli Harris and Morrell on Thursday.

Council members Oliver Thomas and Eugene Green voted with the mayor.

King stayed silent on his intentions leading up to the override and did not discuss the matter pubicly.

The controversy over the Pontalba arose last year, after WVUE-TV published surveillance footage appearing to show Cantrell staying overnight at the apartment on several occasions.

The footage also showed Cantrell spending hours inside the apartment with Jeffery Vappie, a New Orleans Police Department officer who served on her executive team, while Vappie was off duty. Vappie's wife then accused the two of having an affair in a public divorce filing, a claim that Cantrell vehemently denied.

Cantrell continued to use the apartment even after the council — in a watered-down measure meant as a compromise — passed a measure in April that aimed to ban overnight stays. WVUE-TV published surveillance video — from a publicly owned camera — showing Cantrell going to the apartment after midnight on consecutive nights during the Essence Festival of Culture and then leaving mid-morning both times.

'Not a personal vendetta'

In responding to Joseph’s statement, Morrell said “the only person who has repeatedly uttered personal comments on this issue has been the mayor.”

Morrell noted that Inspector General Ed Michel has urged the city to return the apartment to commerce, a move that Michel said could garner nearly $40,000 in annual revenue.

Michel also warned that foregoing that revenue could violate a state constitutional prohibition on “gratuitous donations.”

“This is not a personal vendetta,” Morrell said. “The mayor interprets it as a personal vendetta. But that's really her interpretation, not the way the council has addressed any of this.”

When the City Council passed their most recent measure earlier this month, Cantrell promptly announced she would veto.

"It's shameful enough that a world-renowned city such as ours does not have a suite in the publicly owned Louisiana Superdome," Cantrell wrote in her veto letter. "To now remove the duly elected Mayor's access to a city-owned apartment unit is not befitting a city of this status."

Cantrell's letter said the apartment allows mayors to "host a range of domestic and international events and dignitaries," though it's not clear if she has used it for those purposes.

'Maybe it's going to be an Airbnb'

Cantrell has not provided details as to how she uses the apartment, though she has said that it aligns with other mayors.

Joseph reiterated the administration's position that Cantrell's actions have been appropriate, and accused the City Council of mistreating a treasured city asset.

"The City Council, certain members, don't recognize the history and the importance of this residence, and how it fits into the fabric of the city and how it's a part of us. They just would rip it away and put it up on Redfin or Craigslist to rent," Joseph said. "Or maybe it's going to be an Airbnb, who knows?"

The French Market Corp. maintains a waiting list for openings at the Pontalba, and the City Council's measure instructs the apartment to be leased to someone on that list. 

French Market Corp. Executive Director Leslie Alley did not immediately respond to an email about next steps.