New Orleans moves to remove embattled Mayor LaToya Cantrell for ‘quietly resigning’
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New Orleans residents are seeking to oust controversial Mayor LaToya Cantrell from office as they accuse her of “quietly resigning” by not meeting with department heads for more than a year.
The recall effort against Cantrell, 50, was launched in August 2022 when vice-president organizing Ellen Carter worked to gather 50,000 signatures by February 22, a goal she insists she has surpassed.
Carter worked in Cantrell’s office for three years and saw firsthand how she claimed the mayor “quietly resigned” or stopped doing her job as crime rates rose and residents became scared, he told Fox News.
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“Right now, our mayor doesn’t love New Orleans, so the citizens and residents stood up,” Carter told the news outlet. ‘We will take back our city and save New Orleans.’
Cantrell has been at the forefront of several scandals, as footage surfaced showing her taunting passengers on a Mardi Gras parade float and reports alleging she had an affair with her bodyguard.
New Orleans residents seek to oust controversial Mayor LaToya Cantrell from office as they accuse her of “quietly resigning”
Cantrell has been at the forefront of several scandals when footage surfaced showing her circling the bird during the Krewe of Tucks parade on Saturday in New Orleans.
The records revealed that Cantrell halted her usual responsibilities as mayor, including meetings with department heads she hadn’t scheduled in more than a year starting in November, according to the news outlet.
Cantrell’s lack of care for his city has left voters in awe, as New Orleans was nearly named the murder capital of the nation in 2022 before being ousted by Jackson, Mississippi.
Recall that Vice President Organizing Ellen Carter used to work in the mayor’s office and remembered 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. Around 480 shootings were also recorded along with 541 robberies and 279 vehicle thefts.
“We’re like Gotham down here,” Carter told Fox News. “Sad to say, but that’s what people call us, and we call ourselves that.”
‘People are afraid. This administration has not risen to the circumstances we need at this time. Quality of life standards are simply declining.’
Aside from crime, the upkeep of the historic city has declined as Carter claimed buildings have broken windows and potholes fill the streets.
“I don’t think he’s making very good judgment calls for the city, to the point of arrogance,” Carter said.
If the county recorder’s office verifies that the 50,000 signatures are valid, a recall election will be triggered to allow voters to decide whether to oust Cantrell.
Cantrell’s office was not immediately available for comment.
Cantrell’s lack of care for his city has left voters in awe, as New Orleans was nearly named the murder capital of the nation in 2022 before being ousted by Jackson, Mississippi.
Carter worked to collect 50,000 signatures by February 22, a goal she insists they exceeded. Recall organizers cheered after receiving the number of signatures they needed to start an election
Amid the recall effort, some residents feared retaliation for signing petitions in support of Cantrell’s removal.
Cantrell will be bitter. She will go after people. They don’t want retaliation against them, but they will vote for it when an election is held,” Babs, a resident of the city, told the news outlet.
A restaurant owner was served with a restraining order for allegedly violating his lease after the owner warned him to cancel an event to support Cantrell’s retirement.
Carter called Cantrell’s tactics fear-based, stating, “They’ll take your job.” They will take your livelihood.
Cantrell has struggled to curry favor with her constituents and was recently filmed screaming and throwing the bird at passengers on a Mardi Gras parade float.
The short clip shows the Democratic leader cheering from the stands in the center of Gallier Hall, appearing to cheer in support of the Krewe of Tucks parade before raising her middle finger to the crowd.
The mayoress seems to shout to the floats that pass by her: ‘I love you.
God bless you. I’ll see you Happy carnival. Enjoy your trip. I am very glad that your trip has been good. I love you.’
It’s unclear exactly what prompted Cantrell’s boorish reaction and a statement from the mayor’s office released Sunday night reads: ‘Mardi Gras is a time when satire and jokes are on full display. The city has been enjoying a safe and healthy Carnival and looks forward to continuing the celebration at Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras’.
Cantrell was charged last month with having a “continuing adulterous affair” with police detective Jeffrey Vappie, 50.
Cantrell was charged last month with having a “continuing adulterous affair” with the former head of her police detail, who has since been suspended due to an investigation into irregularities related to his salary.
The latest allegations came to light after the wife of New Orleans police detective Jeffrey Vappie, 50, amended her divorce petition to state that her estranged husband was involved in a sexual relationship with a woman named only as ‘Mrs. LC’
Vappie’s wife, Danielle, alleges that her husband and the mayor have been involved in the matter since May 2021, the same month he began working on the Cantrell detail.
Cantrell has also faced a wave of criticism for using $30,000 of taxpayer funds to buy first-class tickets to Europe.