Parish

St. Tammany Parish voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to elect a new sheriff for the first time in over 30 years without Jack Strain or Randy Smith on the ballot, filling the remaining 18 months of Smith's term after his resignation and guilty plea to second-degree battery. Interim Sheriff Bret Ibert will retire once a successor is sworn in this January. Four candidates are running: former Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges, retired U.S. Marshal Scott Illing, retired bomb-squad commander David Maki, and former Slidell Police interim chief Daniel Seuzeneau. Each emphasizes transparency, staff morale, and budget fixes. Without a majority winner, a runoff follows Dec. 12.

Louisiana voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide 10 constitutional amendments covering property taxes, bail, and term limits, among other issues. Several measures address property tax policy, including allowing a disabled veteran's surviving spouse a one-time transfer of a tax exemption, giving local taxing authorities more flexibility on millage rates, expanding the income threshold for the elderly property tax freeze to $150,000, extending added exemptions for homeowners 65 and older, and creating a parish option to exempt rehabilitated blighted properties.

Other amendments would bar bail for people convicted of aggravated offenses against children, limit governors to two four-year terms in a lifetime rather than two consecutive terms, let retirement systems apply surplus funds to any unfunded liability instead of only the oldest, permit public funds for replacing lead-affected drinking water lines on private property, and prohibit property expropriation by foreign adversaries. The outcomes carry implications for state fiscal policy, criminal justice, and gubernatorial politics.

Louisiana's open primary election takes place Tuesday, Nov. 3, with early voting held Oct. 20-27. The ballot features a crowded U.S. Senate race to replace Rep. Julia Letlow, who is stepping down after President Trump's endorsement, pitting her against Democrat Jamie Davis. Several U.S. House races are also at stake, including incumbents Steve Scalise, Troy Carter, and Clay Higgins, plus a wide-open contest for Letlow's 5th District seat and the newly redrawn, majority-white 6th District vacated by Cleo Fields.

Down-ballot contests include the influential Public Service Commissioner District 1 seat, St. Tammany Parish sheriff (following ex-Sheriff Randy Smith's guilty plea in an assault case), Plaquemines Parish president, and Bogalusa mayor, where incumbent Tyrin Truong faces criminal charges. Races without a majority winner will proceed to a December runoff, a likely outcome in several multi-candidate congressional and local contests.

The East Baton Rouge Metro Council on Wednesday declined to move forward with a measure creating a commission to study deconsolidating Baton Rouge's city and parish governments. Council member Darryl Hurst, the measure's author, withdrew it from the agenda before a vote, saying his goal was to start a dialogue rather than force an immediate decision.

Most council members agreed the topic deserves discussion but argued Hurst's proposal, a Home Rule Charter Commission, was the wrong mechanism. Under state law such a commission can only draft and submit a charter to voters, removing council oversight, and would have required a plan within 180 days, which critics called premature. Some cited unresolved litigation and the complexity of untangling decades of shared city-parish finances as reasons to wait.

Interest in deconsolidation has grown since St. George incorporated as the parish's fifth city, diverting an estimated $40 million to $50 million in tax revenue from the consolidated government. Hurst said he plans to revise the proposal with colleagues' input and bring it back later.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission voted to give St. Landry Parish six more months, until March 2027, to repay $1.65 million in outstanding state loans. The parish had originally been approved for up to $4.6 million in loans in September 2025 and has drawn about $2.9 million of that total.

Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack warned the parish faces potential state financial oversight, including a fiscal review committee, if it doesn't make deeper cuts to operating expenses. He said parish payroll has stayed roughly steady near $350,000 a month despite projections of cuts, and expressed skepticism about parish forecasts that monthly payroll will drop to about $250,000 by September. Parish President Jessie Bellard has proposed reducing staff, cutting salaries, and trimming animal control and senior transportation services, changes estimated to save about $600,000 annually. Bellard has said roughly 88.5% of general fund spending is mandated, limiting flexibility. Waguespack opted for a shorter six-month extension rather than a full year, saying the parish must show verified progress or face closer state scrutiny.