New Orleans residents are seeking to push controversial Mayor LaToya Cantrell out of office as they claim she is guilty of ‘quiet quitting’ by failing to meet with her department heads for over a year.
The recall effort against Cantrell, 50, launched in August 2022 as vice chair organizer Ellen Carter worked to gather 50,000 signatures by February 22 – a goal she insists they surpassed.
Carter worked in Cantrell’s office for three years and watched firsthand as she claimed the mayor ‘quiet quit’ or stopped doing her job, as crime rates increased and residents became fearful, she told Fox News.
‘Right now our mayor doesn’t love New Orleans so the citizens and the residents stood up,’ Carter told the news outlet. ‘We’re taking our city back, and we’re gonna save New Orleans.’
Cantrell has been at the frontend of several scandals as surfaced footage showed her flipping riders off on a Mardi Gras parade float and reports alleged she had an affair with her bodyguard.
New Orleans residents seek to push controversial Mayor LaToya Cantrell out of office as they accuse her of ‘quiet quitting’
Cantrell has been at the frontend of several scandals as surfaced footage showed her flipping the bird during the Krewe of Tucks Parade on Saturday in New Orleans
Records revealed Cantrell halted her regular responsibilities as mayor, including meetings with department heads that she hasn’t scheduled in more than a year as of November, according to the news outlet.
Cantrell’s lack of care for her city has left constituents in fear as New Orleans was almost named the nation’s murder capital in 2022 before being ousted by Jackson, Mississippi.
Recall vice chair organizer Ellen Carter used to work in the mayors office and recalled when she supposedly stopped working
New Orleans witnessed a 116 percent increase in homicides between 2019 and 2022. In 2022, the city recorded 280 homicides, according to WDSU news. About 480 shooting incidents was also recorded along with 541 robberies and 279 carjackings.
‘We’re like Gotham down here,’ Carter told Fox News. ‘It’s sad to say, but that’s kind of what people are calling us, and we’re calling ourselves that.’
‘People are fearful. This administration hasn’t risen to the occasion that we need right now. Quality of life standards are just diminishing.’
Aside from crime, the upkeep of the historic city has diminished as Carter claimed buildings have broken windows and potholes fill the streets.
‘I don’t think she’s making very good judgment decisions for the city at all, to the point of arrogance,’ Carter said.
If the county registrar office verifies the 50,000 signatures as valid, a recall election will be triggered to allow voters to decide on whether to oust Cantrell.
Cantrell’s office wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Cantrell’s lack of care for her city has left constituents in fear as New Orleans was almost named the nation’s murder capital in 2022 before being ousted by Jackson, Mississippi
Carter worked to gather 50,000 signatures by February 22 – a goal she insists they surpassed. Recall organizers applauded after receiving the number of signatures they needed to trigger an election
Amid the recall effort, some residents feared retaliation for signing petitions in support of ousting Cantrell.
‘Cantrell will be bitter. She will go after people. They don’t want retribution against them, but they will vote for it when it goes to an election,’ Babs, a resident of the city, told the news outlet.
One restaurant owner was issued a restraining order for allegedly violating his lease after he was warned by his landlord to cancel an event in support of recalling Cantrell.
Carter called Cantrell’s tactics fear-based, claiming, ‘They will take your job. They will take your livelihood.’
Cantrell has struggled to win the favor over her constituents and was recently filmed yelling and flipping the bird at riders on a Mardi Gras parade float.
The short clip shows the Democratic leader cheering from stands at Gallier Hall downtown, appearing to cheer on in support of the Krewe of Tucks parade before raising her middle finger to the crowd.
The mayor appears to shout at the floats passing by her: ‘I love you. God bless you. I’ll see you. Happy Mardi Gras. Enjoy your ride. So glad your ride was good. Love you.’
It is unclear exactly what provoked Cantrell’s rude reaction and a statement from the mayor’s office released Sunday evening reads: ‘Mardi Gras is a time where satire and jest are on full display. The city has been enjoying a safe and healthy Carnival and is looking forward to continuing the celebration on Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras.’
Cantrell was accused last month for having an ‘ongoing adulterous affair’ with police detective Jeffrey Vappie, 50
Cantrell was accused last month for having an ‘ongoing adulterous affair’ with the former head of her police detail who has since been suspended due to an investigation into irregularities relating to his pay.
The latest allegations came to light after the wife of New Orleans’ police detective Jeffrey Vappie, 50, amended her divorce petition to claim that her estranged husband was involved in a sexual relationship with a woman named only as ‘Mrs. L.C.’
Vappie’s wife, Danielle, alleges that her husband and the mayor have been carrying on the affair since May 2021, the same month that he began working on Cantrell’s detail.
Cantrell has also faced a wave of criticism for using $30,000 in taxpayer funds for first class tickets to Europe.