New Orleans enters this year with something we have not had in a long time: a reset.

We have a new mayor. We have a re-shaped City Council. And we have open seats in the state legislature. Most importantly, we have a moment where excuses no longer work. This is the year residents either lean in—or accept decline as normal.

Great cities are not built by slogans or saviors. They are built by citizens who show up consistently, demand competence, and refuse to disengage when things get hard.

If New Orleans wants to be better in 2026, here are the things residents must do—starting now.

1. Give Helena Moreno Support—And Accountability

A new mayor deserves room to work. She also deserves scrutiny.

Residents should give soon to be Mayor Moreno the benefit of the doubt while insisting on clear goals, timelines, and measurable outcomes. That means paying attention to budgets, contracts, and appointments. It means praising progress and calling out drift early, not years later.

Blind loyalty got this city in trouble. Cynicism kept it there. The balance is engagement.

2. Demand a Functional City Council, Not a Performative One

The City Council must govern, not grandstand.

That means fewer viral moments and more boring, effective work: infrastructure oversight, contract enforcement, and fiscal discipline. Councilmembers should collaborate with the mayor when it helps the city and push back when it doesn’t.

Residents should reward seriousness and punish theatrics. If you cannot explain what your councilmember actually delivered, that’s a problem.

3. Pay Attention to the State—Because the State Is Paying Attention to Us

Whether people like it or not, Baton Rouge increasingly shapes New Orleans’ future.

The city needs a strong, unified legislative delegation that can negotiate, resist when necessary, and secure resources without surrendering local control. Open legislative seats matter. Who fills them matters more. In a few short weeks, New Orleanians must elect two new state legislators and a new senator. Find your candidate and start supporting him or her now.

If residents skip those elections, others will decide the city’s future for them.

4. Vote in the “Unsexy” Elections—Especially the February Ones

New Orleans has a bad habit of ignoring elections that do not come with fireworks.

Special elections, February races, and low-turnout contests are where power quietly shifts. These elections decide judges, legislators, and policy direction long before anyone notices.

If you only vote in presidential years, you are not participating in self-government.

5. Demand Real Public Safety—Not Talking Points

Crime policy should be judged by outcomes, not press conferences.

Residents should demand clear crime-reduction strategies, coordination between agencies, and honest data. That also means acknowledging when programs do not work and redirecting resources quickly.

Public safety is not ideological. It is practical. People deserve to feel safe walking to their cars and sending their kids to school.

6. Support Local and Black-Owned Businesses Intentionally

Economic growth does not happen automatically.

If residents want neighborhoods to thrive, they must spend money locally, advocate for fair contracting, and push the city to pay vendors on time. Small businesses collapse not from lack of hustle, but from lack of support and cash flow.

Economic justice starts with where dollars circulate.

7. Show Up Before the Crisis, Not After

Too many residents wait until something breaks to get involved.

Attend community meetings. Read agendas. Ask questions before votes happen. Pick up the phone and call council offices before they lock in decisions. Democracy rewards early attention, not last-minute outrage.

Silence is usually interpreted as consent.

8. Take Responsibility for Neighborhoods Again

Government matters. Community still matters too.

Block captains, neighborhood associations, school involvement, and mutual accountability make cities resilient. No mayor can replace neighbors who care enough to intervene early when things slide.

Strong cities have strong social fabric.

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The Hard Truth

New Orleans will not be saved by a single election, a single leader, or a single year. But this year matters.

We now have new leadership. It can only move the city forward if residents do their part. That means voting consistently, paying attention locally, and rejecting the habit of disengagement disguised as skepticism.

Greatness is not accidental. It is practiced.

2026 is the year New Orleans decides whether it wants to be managed—or whether it wants to lead itself again.