NEW ORLEANS -- By state law, no toll revenue from the Mississippi River bridge in New Orleans shall be used to fund other projects around the state.
The money is supposed to be set aside to maintain and operate the bridge, local ferries and roadways and ramps leading to the structure.
But, according to the state Department of Transportation and Development, its Crescent City Connection Division (CCCD) used the tolls to pay private attorneys to work on the LA. 1 bridge in lower Lafourche Parish.
Marrero state Rep. Pat Connick complains money is going out the back door, rather than being spent on local projects.
"The law doesn't allow it," said Connick. "It doesn't provide for it by statute. Therefore, any money that was spent from the CCCD was improper."
In September, the state legislative auditor found that "CCCD resources and personnel were used for La. 1 operations."
At the time, DOTD denied the claim, stating that "All La. 1 dedicated employee time and salary-related benefits are paid directly by DOTD with no reimbursement required to CCCD."
"What DOTD said is that no money, no Crescent City Connection money was spent on La. 1 projects," said Connick. "We had documentation that proved that it was."
On Dec. 29, Transportation Secretary Sherri LeBas sent a letter to the legislative auditor stating that a new "...review uncovered $59,631.25 in payments to the Pickering and Cotogno law firm by the CCCD for work that referenced the toll facility on LA 1."
And, that the "recommendation was made that the entire sum be reimbursed to the CCCD by DOTD.
Attorney Ken Pickering didn't want to appear on camera, but called the matter a "bookkeeping error" and says that he did the legal work at the "request of various Crescent City bridge supervisors."
Connick is an outspoken critic of the current management of the Crescent City Connection Bridge. He said the CCCD should be preparing to take the tolls off the bridge. They expire in 2012, he said, but it keeps misspending money and the legal services snafu is just the latest example of that.
"$15 million on an insurance policy that wasn't required, never needed and shouldn't have been purchased and was basically worthless, building an expansion of their office buildings by 6000 square foot which still needs to be looked into," Connick said.
Connick plans to sponsor another bill to dissolve the CCCD during the upcoming session of the state legislature.
According to a DOTD statement, the nearly $60,000 dollars has now been reimbursed to the Crescent City Connection Division.
Unless lawmakers approve an extension, the bridge tolls are expected to sunset at the end of 2012.
