A very quick rundown of this whole Wisner Trust debacle (to the best of my understanding):

The Wisner Trust was established in the 1910s by Edward Wisner to benefit the City of New Orleans, Charity Hospital (now LSU), Tulane, the Salvation Army, and “the Wisner Ladies” (his widow and daughters) using revenues from valuable land he donated. The trust was set to expire after 100 years.

The Wisner Trust officially expired on August 4, 2014, marking the completion of its original 100-year term . When that happened, Edward Wisner’s will explicitly decreed that all the trust’s property and rights would revert fully to the City of New Orleans as the sole owner.

In 2020, Mayor Cantrell secretly signed a “2020 Ratification, Extension, Modification & Amendment Agreement” with the other beneficiaries (Tulane, LSU, Salvation Army, and Wisner heirs). This Permanently extended the Wisner Trust beyond its original August 4, 2014, expiration, Transformed all income beneficiaries into principal beneficiaries, effectively blocking the City of New Orleans from receiving full ownership of the trust land and revenues upon its expiration, and Shifted governance from a public advisory committee to a private board, removing transparency and accountability.

The City Council sued when this secret agreement was discovered. Orleans Parish Civil District Court invalidated the 2020 extension in May 2025, declaring it null and void and reaffirming the 2014 termination, returned full ownership and benefits of the trust to the City of New Orleans.

Now we’re up to speed.

City Council members baffled after Cantrell appeals Wisner ruling that gives city more cash

quote:
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is appealing recent court rulings that give the city exclusive rights to the millions generated each year from donated oilfield land, to the astonishment of City Council members who on Tuesday criticized her for acting against taxpayers' interest.

At a budget committee hearing, Councilmembers Joe Giarrusso, JP Morrell and Oliver Thomas said they were baffled as to why the mayor would be fighting to continue a century-old arrangement that gives the city only 35% of the revenue from about 38,000 acres of land around Port Fourchon donated to the city by the late philanthropist Edward Wisner. The land generates roughly $9 million each year.

quote:
Cantrell, a defendant in the council’s three-year-old lawsuit, is siding with dozens of Wisner’s heirs who contend they hold continuing interests in the land, despite a 2014 appellate court ruling that the previous revenue sharing agreement had expired.

quote:
Council members on Tuesday called on Cantrell to switch sides and join the council as a plaintiff, especially since other defendants with claims to the land — namely Tulane University, with a 12% interest — are settling and turning over their interests to the city.

Of course, Cantrell declined to comment.

LINK

What a legacy! I hope she plans on fleeing the state when her term expires.