After Loss in West Jefferson, Commission Will Reassess Proposed Levee Lift Schedule

 

MARRERO, La. – (Nov. 23, 2015) – Following the election results on Saturday, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – West (SLFPA-W) President Susan H. Maclay thanked Algiers voters for their positive endorsement of the 6.35 mill renewal that passed on Saturday.

“Throughout this campaign, I was reminded by citizens I met that without flood protection, nothing else matters,” said SLFPA-W President Susan Maclay. “Everything came together to help us achieve this victory so that we can continue to protect the citizens and businesses of Algiers.”

She expressed her disappointment at the rejection of the 5.5 mill proposal for West Jefferson. “Unfortunately, our effort to get voter approval of the proposed hurricane protection millage in West Jefferson was unsuccessful. We attempted to show voters how this relatively small amount for the average homeowner would be more than offset by the reductions in flood insurance rates in future years. We will be forced to reexamine our levee lift schedule, which, of course, could have a future detrimental effect on our FEMA certification and our ability to properly maintain the new world-class system paid for by the taxpayers throughout the country and the citizens of Louisiana.”

Maclay credited her fellow post-Katrina reform commissioners for their due diligence and the staff of SLFPA-W for their tireless work each day. “These individuals are vital to our hurricane fighting force and are our most valuable assets in the maintenance and upkeep of our $4.2 billion newly completed West Bank hurricane protection system. Our staff intimately knows every inch of our system and they are the ones who stay when the public evacuates. They carry out the work of our mission to keep this system certified and strong, and most importantly they keep the West Bank dry when storms threaten. I want them to know how much they are appreciated!”

“I would like to recognize the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® and the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans for their public support of the ballot measures as well as the many local civic, business and media organizations that issued public endorsements. Our message focused on the needs of our vastly improved and far more complex system, and the public in Algiers responded favorably,” said Maclay.

Among the community and media organizations indicating their support were:

  • New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®

  • Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans

  • Algiers Neighborhood Presidents Council

  • Algiers Point Association

  • City of Gretna

  • City of Westwego

  • Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans

  • Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region

  • Bureau of Governmental Research

  • The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com

  • The New Orleans Advocate

  • Gambit