Oliver Thomas

Education Fast-track Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates into city jobs through partnerships with the New Orleans Job Corps and Delgado to help fill chronically understaffed civil service positions. Education In partnership with the city’s early childhood providers, expand and enhance universal Pre-K to ensure all 3- and 4-year-olds have access to high-quality early learning options and facilities. Housing Incentivize landlords to offer discounted housing for teachers, reducing housing costs for our educators. Education Continue to provide free WiFi hotspots and technology access for students in need so every child can succeed in a digital world. Taxes / Budget Reform property tax assessments to ensure fairness for homeowners and prevent predatory increases. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Move to elect or publicly confirm the next NOPD Chief to ensure community trust in law enforcement leadership. The Superintendent should be accountable to the people, not just the Mayor. Economy Launch an Economic Mobility Task Force to remove barriers to homeownership, improve credit access, and expand workforce training. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Establish and secure sustainable funding for a Violence Interruption & Prevention Office that employs credible messengers—including formerly. Incarcerated individuals—as mentors. These mentors will work to break cycles of violence by proactively de-escalating conflicts before they escalate into deadly encounters. Economy In partnership with our state and federal partners, develop a Small Business Recovery Fund to help businesses continue to recover from the pandemic and natural disasters. Infrastructure / Transportation Prioritizing Road Safety: Make the safety of bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers a central consideration in every infrastructure project. Wages / Job Benefits Expand job training, the summer jobs program, year-round Youth Job Corps and paid internships. Infrastructure / Transportation Develop a long-term funding plan for drainage, water management, and climate resilience to prevent constant flooding. Housing Build and preserve 10,000 housing units over the next eight years to support working families. Government Reform Create satellite City Hall locations for accessibility so residents have access to do city business. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Support Public Works in establishing systems and staffing to ensure streetlight repairs within 30 days citywide and 7 days in crime hotspots. Infrastructure / Transportation Launch a 90-Day Pothole Fix Guarantee Program to ensure all potholes are repaired within 90 days, prioritizing major road issues for safer, smoother streets across New Orleans. Education Collaborate with the City Council to ensure Harrah’s funding continues to be directed toward critical investments in our education system. Housing Create a student loan relief and homeownership assistance program for educators in high-needs schools. Economy Assess and pilot the utilization of vacant city properties for low-cost startup spaces, giving local entrepreneurs an affordable place to grow. Government Reform Launch a citywide 311 Tracking System so every complaint gets a follow-up, status update, and timeline for resolution. Environment / Energy Ensure our city is prepared for climate change by monitoring flood-prone areas and upgrading drainage systems. Infrastructure / Transportation Assess and Strengthen the Street Repair Plan with strict contractor oversight to prevent delays and wasted funds. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Fully staff 911 dispatch and ensure all calls are answered within 10 seconds so emergencies get a rapid response. Social Services Advocate to increase trash pickup frequency to twice a week and in the interim provide every household with two trash bins and a recycling bin. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Expand Civilian Response Teams (CRTs) to handle non-emergency calls and traffic enforcement, freeing up police for serious crime. Infrastructure / Transportation Trash pickup, pothole repairs, streetlights, and drainage must be reliable—every day, in every neighborhood. Our city should be as clean every day as it is after a Mardi Gras parade—because we have the money and the resources to get it done. No more excuses—just action.