By Christopher Tidmore, ctidmore@louisianaweekly.com

Troy Henry will answer your questions on the author's radio program on Tuesday, 11/10, from 3-4 PM on WSLA 1560 AM New Orleans & KKAY 1590 AM Baton Rouge, online at www..globalradiokkay.com. Call in 504-322-3510.  

It was nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina, and local businessman and nationally known consultant Troy Henry looked upon the neighborhood in which he had grown up, and realized the restoration of Ponchartrain Park was still not on any politician's agenda.  He telephoned his childhood friend, actor Wendell Pierce, and the two men decided to do something.

When they began, Henry told The Louisiana Weekly and Bayoubuzz, "Pontchartrain Park, the neighborhood where we grew up, which is also one of the most historic African-American neighborhoods in the country, was less than 40% recovered. We thought it was a tragedy that no City investment was made to help the neighborhood recover. At that time, it wasn’t even listed as a Target Recovery Zone. We joined together with the neighborhood residents, a nationally-renowned development team, and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) to develop a plan to help rebuild the neighborhood stronger and better by building over 500 super energy-efficient, affordable homes. We’ve also been working with the State, federal agencies like HUD and FEMA, philanthropic organizations, and Congress to package all of the available incentives to make the houses affordable to everyone. It’s been a labor of love because not only is it my old neighborhood, but my parents still live there. I wanted to make sure that they could live out their golden years enjoying the same quality of life they had before Katrina hit."

           Troy Henry who had been content for years to stay in the political background, decided that New Orleans needed a leader, and he was distinctly underwhelmed with the choices that had presented themselves for Mayor.  Acting on the encouragement of Wendell Pierce and other family and friends, Henry revealed to the press on October 20th, that he would be a candidate in the February 2010 elections for Mayor of New Orleans.  

          He enters the race with most extensive corporate resume of almost any of the candidates, rivaling either John Georges or Leslie Jacobs.  Currently, the Managing Partner of Henry Consulting, he has over 20 years of management experience, work described as having "a strong focus on business development, strategic planning, contract management, technology, and government relations". 

         As President of the $600M United Water Corporation, Henry had responsibility for overseeing operations and management of United Water's water and wastewater businesses, customer satisfaction, client relations and marketing activities in nineteen states. Henry has also served in executive positions with Enron, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) and LORAL Federal Systems. He has bachelor's degrees in electrical/computer engineering and African and Afro-American studies from Stanford University, and master's degrees in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.

         Henry has made it clear that his bid for Mayor would be no quixotic affair, pledging hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal capital to the race.  That decision, along with his long experience in local civic affairs, instantly made Troy Henry one of the most talked about potential candidates for Mayor, and, perhaps, the best financed of all of the African-American contenders for the job.

          As to why the successful corporate leader would leave his company to run, Henry responds simply, "I love New Orleans. I believe that we’re at a critical juncture and I’m worried about what happens to our City if we don’t have effective leadership in the Mayor’s office over the next four years. I believe I have the right vision for our City, and I believe that I have the right combination of integrity, skills, experience, and qualifications to allow me to be effective in working with the community to accomplish that vision."

          In Henry's mind, it is his business background that uniquely qualifies him for the Chief Executive Post.  "I have a passion for the City. I could’ve worked anywhere in the country, but chose to move back to New Orleans because I believe in the City’s potential. My experience getting things done through effective management. My qualifications, which includes my professional background leading large, complex organizations over the years where, in many cases, I’ve essentially come in and transformed organizations that were dysfunctional into something functional, effective, and productive. My experience living in other progressive cities and working as an executive in well-managed companies gives me an understanding of best practices. And lastly, my vision of transforming New Orleans into the most desired City in the U.S. in which to live."

         It is a five point vision, in fact.  Henry seeks to "Re-engineering City Government".  As he explains, "For New Orleans city government to begin to achieve the highest standards of performance that citizens expect and deserve, it needs to be re-engineered, re-cultured, and transformed. To reach that goal, I’ll institutionalize standards of performance and professionalism for all city employees, including those that work in the Civil Service System; improve the City budgeting process by working with the City Council on budget matters far in advance of budget deadlines set in the City Charter; set priorities for spending to ensure that the taxpayer dollars are spent on the City’s real needs – our spending should be data-driven and based on what the community has established as the City’s priorities, not based on politics. I’ll establish standards of accountability that will eliminate wasteful spending on things like City-issued credit cards and take-home vehicles for employees who don’t absolutely need them. I also believe that full transparency is the key to renewing citizens’ faith that City government is spending their money wisely and working in their best interests. My Administration will produce programs and policies that are sustainable, that people adopt as a way of life, so the City can continue to be a “Model City for the 21^st Century” no matter who’s in office."

           Like almost every other Mayoral candidate, Henry worries about the rising violent crime rate.  "The City of New Orleans should not be a haven for thugs, drug dealers, and career criminals. The NOPD’s highest priority should be removing violent and repeat offenders off of our streets permanently! I’ll immediately convene a group (that includes law enforcement experts, criminal justice system advocates, community leaders, etc.) to conduct a nationwide search for the best man or woman to lead the Police Department. The new Chief will be held to the same high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency that I’ll expect from other department heads in City government. The new Chief’s success will be measured by specific goals of crime reduction, police professionalism, response times, public satisfaction, and the Department’s ability to work effectively with the other agencies that comprise the Criminal Justice System, including the District Attorney, Sheriff, Judges, Office of the Public Defender, federal law enforcement agencies, and others. The Department must also establish a more effective and continuous relationship with community residents. I’m going to challenge the Police Department to earn its budget by reducing crime and treating citizens with dignity and respect."

            A critical component of Henry's is a focus on "Fixing Streets and Infrastructure".  As he explains, "New Orleans residents (and visitors) deserve better than crumbling streets and sidewalks that aren’t fit for a Third-World country. The City of Baton Rouge spends $26 million per year on its streets. New Orleans, one of the country’s most world-renowned cities, spends just $3 million per year. The Sewerage & Water Board loses 50% of the water that pumps through the system. Every resident pays for that lost water. And we pay even more when that escaped water bubbles to the surface to damage streets and property. The drainage system is also the first line of defense in our City’s flood protection system. We have to make a more significant investment in ongoing maintenance and repair of our basic infrastructure. I want to continue the street work started under the South Louisiana Submerged Roads Program and accelerate the repair of the City’s antiquated sewer, water, and drainage system. And the effort has to be coordinated to ensure that when a street gets fixed, the leaky water pipes underneath get fixed also. The City should also have a smarter transportation system that includes synchronized signal-lighting. Fixing the poor condition of streets is a good first step, but our transportation system also needs to be more efficient. And we should continue the current trend of making our street system more bike and pedestrian friendly."

           In the midst of a recession, the businessman's focus is to "Bring Jobs and Economic Development" as well.  "New Orleans has great people, food, history, and culture, but we also need a strong and diversified economy, with good paying jobs, so we can retain and attract the talented individuals that will help our city to grow and prosper. I want to bring 40,000 to 50,000 new jobs to New Orleans by doing extensive recruitment of at least 200 of the Fortune-1000 companies to move some of their business units/services to the City.. I’ll also ask President Obama to show that the federal government believes in the quality of the levees that they built to protect our City by moving thousands of federal jobs to the area. I’ll lead this recruitment effort while working closely with other City and regional leaders in the public and private sector to ensure success. The City itself can also be an economic development engine. Every year, the Administration spends millions of dollars on City contracts. I’ll make every effort to ensure that those taxpayer dollars are recycled in our own community by choosing capable and qualified local firms to do work in the City. 

          Lastly, Henry maintains, "Blighted and abandoned property fosters crime, impedes economic development, and saps valuable City resources needed to manage the problem. I’ll empower the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to do what it was created to do – clean up blight and help to redevelop neighborhoods. Fixing up blighted property improves and beautifies neighborhoods, provides needed housing, and increases the City’s property-tax base. I also want to ensure that the City’s neighborhoods don’t experience a long-term jack o’lantern effect, so I’ll ensure that NORA can continue their large-scale neighborhood redevelopment efforts like Pontchartrain Park. The Administration will also take a multi-pronged approach to assisting with those efforts through more effective code enforcement, liens, sheriff sales, etc."

         What most candidates do not acknowledge, Henry outlines, is that there are "two separate issues" when dealing with blighted property.

         "One is the vacant housing that existed pre-Katrina. The second is the additional post-Katrina vacant housing. For the first group (pre-Katrina vacant property), most of the property has been sitting vacant for years, and some of the properties may be a threat to public safety and health. Our state constitution is clear that eminent domain is a tool that can be used to address that, but it should only be used if absolutely necessary and in very specific instances.. There are other ways that we can clean up vacancies and blight, such as more effective code enforcement, liens, and sheriff sales. But the different neighborhoods in our City have different needs, so we have to use the approach that makes the most sense in each. For the second group (post-Katrina vacant property), we have to identify the residents and businesses who want to return but have a resource gap that prevents them from doing so. For those residents and business, we need to begin leveraging and packaging resources (similar to what’s been done in Pontchartrain Park) to help them to close the financial gap. For residents and businesses that have resources to repair/rehabilitate their property but are allowing the property to lie vacant and abandoned, we can begin using the same approaches as for the first group. My Administration will partner with NORA to develop a comprehensive plan for the disposition of vacant, abandoned, and blighted properties citywide."

          Henry sidestepped the critique, though, that current constitutional changes in the state constitution post-New London make using eminent domain as a method to force landowners to fix their property difficult.   Unlike some, he sees no legal challenges to expropriating blighted properties.   

           The issue of urban redevelopment is so critical to Henry that he breaks with several other African-American candidates for Mayor, by opposing another vote on the master plan, before its final approval.  As he told the Weekly, "New Orleans residents already voted for the master plan to have the force of law once it successfully moves through the approval process. That process includes several forums where residents already have, and can continue to provide, input, including public meetings, City Planning Commission hearings, and City Council hearings. So there are many opportunities that residents and elected leaders have to ensure that the plan reflects the will of the people. Also, the master plan is a living document that is meant to be updated periodically as the will and priorities of residents change."

          On of those changes he foresees is the element of the master plan to eliminate the overpass over N. Claiborne cutting the Treme and St. Roch neighborhoods in Half and end the I-10 route behind the French Quarter.  It is not as simple as that, Henry says. "Ideally, we would have an Interstate highway system that looped around New Orleans, like in many other cities.. However, the I-10 was built differently here. And now thousands of residents rely on that stretch of highway to take them from uptown to downtown and to the CBD, and vice versa. If it was removed, it might beautify the surrounding neighborhoods, but we would have to find an alternate transportation route that is as efficient as the elevated highway. Re-routing traffic to I-610 is not a feasible alternative. So taking it down will have both positive and negative impacts. However, and most importantly, throughout the various planning processes that New Orleans residents have undertaken since Katrina, the removal of I-10 over N. Claiborne has never been listed as a high priority. It might be a great idea, and it may happen one day, but that will not be a priority for my Administration."

          On area on which Henry would not take a specific stand is whether Big Charity should be repaired or whether a new LSU Hospital in mid-city necessary.   The Mayoral candidate does declare, "The City of New Orleans absolutely needs a state-of-the-art, Level-I trauma center, and teaching/research hospital."   However, Henry avoids noting which option he favors.  "The LSU Hospital rehabilitated or newly-built is one of the City’s most significant recovery projects and will have a tremendously positive impact on the regional economy. Whatever the final decision is, we must move forward expeditiously to ensure that the facility is completed in a timely fashion. The LSU Hospital absolutely must be completed! And we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. If the mid-city site is chosen, residents in that area should be compensated in a way that allows them to have the same standard of living in another neighborhood that they currently enjoy. We would also need to think creatively about the best adaptive re-use of the Charity Hospital building, if that is a viable option."

        Currently, residents of Mid-City are in a battle with the Nagin Administration over redevelopment of their neighborhood, stretching from N. Rocheblave to Claiborne Ave, in which to build the Hospital.   The Administration has until late November to prepare half of the footprint as a construction site for the VA portion of the hospital complex or face a multi-million dollar fine.  

         On the subject of concrete areas where regional interparish cooperation is politically possible, Henry supports "joint efforts in the areas of: Regional crime lab; Training facilities and support services for Police, Fire, EMS; Communications network for homeland security, emergencies, and evacuations; Transportation, including light-rail systems and Airport improvement/expansion."

         He added, though, "This is not an exhaustive list, just some of my initial thoughts."

         Henry demurred from directly supporting a state law requiring a public vote before milliages could be rolled forward after being rolled back, what some say is necessary to avoid the so-called stealth tax increases of rising home assessments.   However, he personally pledged to consult the voters before ever rolling milliages forward.  "We first have to ensure that we right-size City government and determine what our priorities are before we understand if millages are set at the right level to pay for the necessary operations of City government and to manage our financial obligations (such as debt payments). Millages should be set to pay for those things, but not used to raise surplus revenue. Any initiative to increase millages for the City must be placed on the ballot and approved by New Orleans residents. Additionally, it will be the new Assessor’s job to ensure that property tax assessments are fair and accurate. We must hold the new Assessor accountable."

         Henry said he could not answer whether he would have supported Ray Nagin's proposal to purchase the Chevron Building as a new city hall.   "As a private citizen, I haven’t had access to the same information that Ray Nagin or the City Council used to make their decisions, so it’s really impossible to speculate. However, I do think that we need a new City Hall. The current site is ideal, but the building itself is obsolete. The Charity building is too large for City Hall’s needs and would be too expensive for the City Administration to rehabilitate."

        On the question of what he would do differently to accelerate recovery than Ray Nagin has, Henry was quick to reply, "My candidacy will be forward-looking rather than focusing on critiques of the Nagin Administration. I believe that successfully executing the five pillars of my campaign platform will accelerate the recovery. I’ll also immediately begin working to build a stronger relationship with the state, federal officials, and the City Council to speed up the approval processes for the City to get resources and funding. In the areas of Housing and Neighborhood Redevelopment, I want to recreate what we’re doing in Pontchartrain Park by leveraging and packaging various resources and incentives to accelerate stronger, safer, energy-efficient, affordable neighborhood rebuilding."

        If there is no GOP candidate for Mayor, The Republican Parish Executive Committee has promised to endorse a Democratic candidate.  Henry says he would seek that endorsement, "Although I’m a Democrat, I seek the support of everyone and every organization that wants what is in the best interests of the City of New Orleans and its residents. The job of Mayor is not about party politics, it’s about making City government perform effectively for all citizens. That’s what I will do as Mayor. The argument I would make for support from anyone or any group is the same message about my experience, qualifications, leadership abilities, and vision for the City that I will promote throughout my campaign."

         With all the talk about whether the next Mayor of New Orleans is Black or White, Henry explains that such musing are the wrong question.  "We should care that the next Mayor of New Orleans is a qualified and experienced manager and leader, with a track record of performance and getting things done, who not only has a vision to transform New Orleans into the most desired city in the U.S. in which to live, but will also work effectively and collaboratively with other elected leaders and community residents to achieve that vision." 

           "I want to hold the state and the federal government accountable for some of the commitments that they’ve made to our community. They said funds would flow to the City. We need funds to flow faster. The State acknowledges that the Road Home program was poorly designed. We must ensure that the millions of dollars that the State hasn’t spent, is used to make citizens whole so they can finish rebuilding their homes and lives. We should also use CDBG funds creatively to stimulate rebuilding and create confidence in the community that we can continue to make progress."