Fairhope’s mayor, Karin Wilson, played a vital role in stopping the toll plan. Mayor Wilson was the first member of the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization to oppose the toll plan. She made the argument that the state should have invested the BP settlement money to fund the project instead of using the money as part of their operating budget. Wilson took to her Facebook page to express her opposition.
“I’m 100% against a toll to build this bridge whatever the fee.” Wilson continued, “The critical need for a new bridge has been discussed for over a decade. To react as though building it now is an overnight emergency is absurd. It’s the perfect example of government getting away with zero accountability. A household or business cannot operate with the idea that if we cannot balance our budget we can force someone else to pay for it. We must budget within our means or fail and suffer the consequences. It’s a pretty good incentive having to be accountable.”Zeigler himself rallied opponents on his own Facebook page, gathering 55,000 people to fight the project. Other officials on the ESMPO who voted against the toll were Daphne mayor Dane Haygood, Spanish Fort mayor Mike McMillon, Loxley mayor Richard Teal, Fairhope city council president Jack Burrell, Daphne city councilman Ron Scott, Baldwin county commissioner Billie Jo Underwood, and Baldwin county commissioner Joe Davis.Zeigler’s citizen group named Block the Tolls. Support Accountability is still active with 52,000 members.
Will the toll issue and toll fighters make a difference in the upcoming municipal elections on August 25? Because the toll proposal could resurface at any time, it is likely that citizens will remain engaged. Since the toll plan was blocked on August 28 of last year, the group succeeded in defeating Amendment One on the March 3rd ballot. It would have taken away the right to vote for or against members of the State School Board and make them all appointed by the governor. The proposal was demolished, 75% no to 25% yes. It was another victory for the ‘No Tolls’ group. Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl, who drafted the resolution to remove the toll from the Transportation Improvement Plan won the Republican nomination for Congress on July 14 by a vote of 52% to 48%.
Will the 52,000 toll-fighting activists make a difference in the August 25 municipal elections? Will they remember those officials who helped block the toll? Over 2,000 of the toll fighters live in the City of Fairhope, where there is a contested Mayor’s race. Fairhope is considered a bellwether of the continuing influence of Zeigler’s citizen group.