The 1852 city charter provided for a Street Commissioner to be elected to a two year term along with other executive officers of the municipality. His qualifications for office were the same as those for members of the state's general assembly. The Street Commissioner was to superintend the lighting, cleaning, and enclosing of city streets, wharves, and public places and also to see that all contracts for such work be faithfully executed. He was to make monthly reports to the Common Council on the condition of the streets, sidewalks, etc., and suggest repairs that were needed. In addition the commissioner was to "denounce all nuisances" that might adversely affect the health or convenience of the citizens of New Orleans.

Later, in 1856, ordinance #3054 provided for a more formal organization of the Street Commissioner's Office. In addition to the elected commissioner the office also included a deputy, a clerk, and ten assistants, all of whom were to be appointed by the commissioner with the consent of the Common Council. The main office was to be in City Hall, but branch offices in each of the other municipal districts were also provided for. All reports, books, and other documents were to be kept in the appropriate offices, and were to be considered as city property and always subject to inspection by the Mayor and Council members.

This ordinance, along with others subsequently passed, provided for additional duties and responsibilities of the office. These included:

--cleaning the markets --supervising the planting of trees in public places --superintending the removal of the indigent sick to the hospitals and the burial of indigent deceased persons --taking a census of all persons subject to the license taxes (every March and between November 15 and December 15 of each year) --seeing that property owners erected fences where their property abutted public sidewalks --examining the operations of the ferry boats and reporting problems to the City Attorney for settlement --coordinating street paving with the pipe laying projects of the water and gas companies.

The Street Commissioner also had joint responsibilities with other municipal offices, including the following:

--with the police officers to enforce the police ordinances and the various orders of the Board of Health --with the surveyor's office to enforce laws regulating buildings, etc. for the safety of the citizenry

Ordinance #3139 (1856) permitted the commissioner to appoint "an experienced and competent person to superintend the repairs of old, and the making of new, bridges."