The unofficial tally, a slender eight-vote margin, declares that tolls on the Crescent City Connection will continue for another 20 years. But as both sides wait for the final count on Saturday, they acknowledged that, regardless of the outcome, they will seek common ground to protect the nation's fifth-busiest bridge. The fate of the referendum hangs in the balance...
The unofficial tally, a slender eight-vote margin, declares that tolls on the Crescent City Connection will continue for another 20 years. But as both sides wait for the final count on Saturday, they acknowledged that, regardless of the outcome, they will seek common ground to protect the nation's fifth-busiest bridge.
Clik here to view.
The Crescent City Connection toll booth area The fate of the referendum hangs in the balance until Nov. 13, when elections officials certify the results of Tuesday's election. Military and overseas ballots were due Wednesday at 8 p.m., after a deadline was extended to allow for Hurricane Sandy, officials said.
More than 310,000 ballots were cast in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes following weeks of contentious debate. Jefferson and Plaquemines voters rejected the measure, while Orleans tilted the scale in favor of the toll extension. But questions surrounded the accuracy of the Orleans count as elections officials worked until the early morning hours Wednesday, counting more than 25,000 ballots that had been cast during early voting.
State Rep. Pat Connick, R-Harvey, who led the grassroots anti-toll movement, said the next step is to publicly verify the results and make sure the toll revenue, more than $21 million annually, is properly spent if the election numbers hold.
Opponents have argued the tolls were an unfair tax imposed on West Bank residents and that the money had been squandered, leaving no funding for promised projects to address traffic congestion.
"We need to make sure the process was done right,'' Connick said of the count. "The final votes that took them over the top were hand-counted ballots. We need to count those in the open so the public can have confidence in the results. That's the message I'm getting from my constituents.''
D'Juan Hernandez, chairman of Bridging Progress, a political action committee, said there is a need to unite and take steps to "strengthen the legislation and insist that the Legislature take definitive steps toward these tenants of transparency and accountability.''
The committee, comprised of advocacy groups representing 3,000 businesses in the region, spent $200,000 on an aggressive media campaign, citing the need to have a dedicated revenue stream to the bridge, a key economic artery for the region. Supporters also argued that a lack of money, resulting in diminished manpower, could impact public safety and aggravate traffic issues on the bridge. To make their case, the committee enlisted the support of elected officials and law enforcement around the region.
"With such a short and tenuous margin in the vote, anyone would be foolish to assume that they've gotten to the end of this thing,'' Hernandez said. "We are really taking a wait and see approach for authorities to certify the results and tell us it's over.''
Both sides said they knew the final vote would be close, but they were surprised the outcome hinged on a scant eight-vote margin.
Orleans residents voted 72,924, or 55 percent, in favor, compared to 60,534 or 45 percent opposed. Jefferson Parish, which historically has rebuffed tax issues, rejected the toll extension 87,019 to 74,973. All of the parishes' municipalities defeated the referendum, except for Kenner, where 51 percent of the voters approved a continuation.
Jefferson businessman John Roberts, who opposed the tolls, attributed the Kenner support for the tolls in part to a "robo-call'' from Mayor Mike Yenni, who allegedly said that rejecting the measure would strip money away from road projects in the city. That tactic scared voters into supporting the issue, Roberts said.
"People voted in their own interest to put taxes on the West Bank and not on themselves,'' Roberts said.
Yenni denied responsibility for any computer-generated calls that contacted voters, saying it was a "blatant lie'' that he did such a thing. He said Roberts is being misled and that as a chronic voter, Yenni never received any such call.
"That's absolutely ludicrous,'' Yenni said. "That was not me and it certainly was not my voice.''
The margins in Jefferson and Plaquemines nearly mirrored each other. In Jefferson, the vote was 54 percent in opposition to 46 percent in support. In Plaquemines, the vote was 56-44 percent in opposition.
Algiers voters joined their West Bank neighbors, opposing the tolls 52-48 percent.
If the vote is certified, the tolls would continue beyond their Dec. 31 expiration. East bank-bound motorists pay 40 cents with a toll tag and $1 cash to cross the bridge.
Political pollster Silas Lee said outcomes are usually clearly defined when the issues involve taxes or fees.
"Eight votes and we still have ballots out and it's still undecided,'' Lee said. "That's unusual for a revenue initiative. Usually you have a clearer mandate. It's not a mandate for either side. The results underlie the fact that voters are split.''
He said he believes the vote articulates residents' interest.
"When you have eight votes separating a win or a loss that says a lot of people use the bridge and they are concerned about the quality of the bridge. They are concerned about the infrastructure of their respective community,'' Lee said. "When they can see where the tax dollars are going that also drives support and opposition.''
Voter registrars in Jefferson and Plaquemines said that any military ballots received by Tuesday were included in the tallies that night. Jefferson received two military ballots Wednesday afternoon, while Plaquemines had received none.
Connick said he hopes the message to state and business leaders is clear.
"We have everybody's attention,'' Connick said. "DOTD (Department of Transportatation and Development) needs to change its ways. They need to be accountable or it needs to be restructured. If they don't, they need to be replaced. The governor needs to pay attention to what's taking place down here.''