Slidell News & Guides Articles

November 3 Election Brings New Representatives to St. Tammany Parish Schools as District 5 Prepares for December 12 Runoff The 2026 St. Tammany Parish School Board elections will bring several changes to the parish's public education leadership. Voters elected three newcomers and returned three incumbent board members to office during the November 3 election, while one remaining race will be settled in a December 12 runoff. The election included seven contested races among the School Board's 15 districts. Six candidates secured outright victories after receiving more than 50% of the vote. District 5 remains undecided because none of its three candidates received the majority required under Louisiana's election system. These election results will help determine the composition of the...

St. Tammany Parish voters will return to the polls December 12, 2026, to select their next sheriff after Daniel Seuzeneau and Robert Hodges emerged as the leading candidates in the November 3 election. Neither candidate secured the majority required to win outright, sending the closely watched contest into a runoff. The election comes during a difficult period for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, with concerns surrounding jail conditions, financial oversight and public confidence shaping discussions about the agency's future. Both candidates have outlined plans for addressing those challenges, giving voters across the parish several differences to consider before making their final choice. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Election Results Unofficial election returns showed Seuzeneau...

Council Decision Keeps Existing Zoning Rules in Place as Residents Raise Questions About Housing Growth, Traffic and Neighborhood Impacts SLIDELL, La. — The Slidell City Council has voted against a proposed ordinance addressing high-density residential development regulations, keeping the city's existing zoning framework in place as conversations about neighborhood expansion, infrastructure demands and residential construction continue throughout the community. The decision followed the council's October 27, 2026, meeting, according to reporting published by NOLA.com. The proposed measure focused on regulations affecting higher-density residential development within Slidell city limits. The outcome comes during a period of significant changes to the city's zoning system, which determines...

Proposal Would Maintain the Existing $253 Rate to Fund Levees, Drainage Pumps and Flood Protection Through 2032 SLIDELL, La. — Residents in several Slidell neighborhoods will vote November 3, 2026, on whether to renew a drainage maintenance fee that supports the levees, pumping equipment and water retention systems protecting their homes from flooding. The proposition affects St. Tammany Parish Drainage District No. 4, which serves New Kingspoint, Fox Hollow, Pinehurst, Oak Plain and Springhill. Voters are being asked to continue the existing maintenance and operations tax of $253 for each 10,000 square feet of land within the district. If approved, the renewed authorization would run from 2028 through 2032. The measure would maintain the current rate rather than introduce an additional...

Four candidates seeking to become St. Tammany Parish sheriff discussed department leadership, jail operations and restoring public confidence ahead of the November 3 election. MANDEVILLE, La. — The four candidates competing to become St. Tammany Parish's next sheriff gathered Wednesday, October 7, for a public forum focused on the future of the Sheriff's Office and the leadership changes each would bring to the department. Robert Hodges, Scott Illing, David Maki and Daniel Seuzeneau participated in the event at The Greystone in Mandeville. The forum was organized by the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the East St. Tammany Business Alliance, Northshore Home Builders Association and NAMI Southeast Louisiana. The discussion came less than a month before the November 3...

Five Sessions Are Scheduled At Library Branches In Slidell And Mandeville During Louisiana's Lawyers In Libraries Week ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — St. Tammany Parish residents will have several opportunities to meet directly with volunteer attorneys for free legal consultations later this month through the annual Lawyers in Libraries program. The St. Tammany Parish Library will host five Lawyers in the Library sessions from Oct. 26 through Oct. 31 at three branch locations in Slidell and Mandeville. The schedule includes weekday morning, afternoon and evening appointments along with a Saturday session, giving residents several ways to participate. Louisiana's statewide Lawyers in Libraries program is held during National Celebrate Pro Bono Week and connects residents with volunteer...

Community Tradition Brings Livestock Shows, Carnival Attractions, Rodeo Events And Family Activities To Covington COVINGTON, La. — The St. Tammany Parish Fair returns to Covington from Wednesday, Sept. 30, through Sunday, Oct. 4, offering five days of agricultural exhibits, livestock competitions, entertainment and family activities for residents from communities across St. Tammany Parish. The 2026 St. Tammany Parish Fair will be held at the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington. Visitors arriving on foot can use the entrance at 1304 N. Columbia St., while motorists can access the drive-in entrance from N. Magee Street. The St. Tammany Parish Fair Association traces the event to 1910, giving the fair a history spanning more than a century of agriculture, education and community...

Voters Will Decide Contested School Board Races Across St. Tammany Parish on Nov. 3 Seven St. Tammany Parish School Board seats have contested races heading into the Nov. 3, 2026 election, putting nearly half of the 15-member board before voters in competitive contests. The contested School Board elections are in Districts 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12, while the other districts have only one qualified candidate. St. Tammany Parish voters will be selecting representatives for the board that governs the parish public school system. School Board members handle responsibilities that include adopting district policies, approving budgets and contracts, addressing facilities and overseeing the superintendent. Those decisions can have substantial effects on students, parents, teachers, other school...

Three Open 22nd Judicial District Court Seats Are On The November Ballot, While A Proposed 2% Slidell Hotel Tax Will Go Before Voters In April 2027 Slidell voters will have several significant local decisions ahead, beginning with three open seats on the 22nd Judicial District Court this fall and continuing next spring with a citywide vote on a proposed hotel occupancy tax. The judicial elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. The three open seats are in Divisions E, G and H of the 22nd Judicial District Court, which serves St. Tammany and Washington parishes. Nine candidates are seeking the three judgeships. In Division E, Michele Moore Echols and Cameron Mary are running for the seat previously held by William H. Burris. Burris left the district court after being elected to the...

Residents across St. Tammany Parish will have several opportunities this weekend to support cancer care, domestic violence services and local arts through fundraising events in Covington and Slidell. Community organizations and event hosts are bringing together family activities, live entertainment, local vendors and charitable giving on Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19. Each event supports a different cause, giving residents options based on their interests, location and schedule. Louisiana Jeep Jam Supports Cancer Care Louisiana Jeep Jam will take place Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, at the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington. Organizers describe the two-day event as a family-oriented fundraiser benefiting patients of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. Friday...

City officials say the changes are intended to reduce unpaid utility debt while lowering the cost for customers who need service restored. SLIDELL, La. — Slidell residents who fall behind on city utility bills could face water service disconnection sooner under an ordinance approved unanimously by the Slidell City Council this week. The council voted 9-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to adopt Ordinance 26-08-3663, which amends Chapter 28 of the city code governing utility accounts. The measure addresses utility fees and costs, water connection and disconnection procedures and the collection of unpaid debts. During the council meeting, Councilman Sean Fadely said the primary goal is to shorten the period between nonpayment and a water shutoff. He said allowing unpaid balances to accumulate for...

Military Road Alliance Gathering Is Expected Sept. 16 As St. Tammany Voters Prepare For Sheriff, Judicial, School Board And Other Local Races SLIDELL, La. — Slidell-area residents are expected to have an opportunity to meet candidates seeking public office during a September gathering organized by the Military Road Alliance, an association representing homeowner groups in eastern St. Tammany Parish. Candidates have been invited to meet with homeowners ahead of Louisiana’s Nov. 3 election, according to a report by NOLA.com. The gathering is designed to give area residents a chance to interact with candidates as several closely watched St. Tammany Parish races move into the fall campaign season. The Military Road Alliance returned earlier this year to its longstanding schedule of meeting...

December Ballot Measure Would Fund Courts, Prosecutors, Jail And Coroner Services For Five Years ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — St. Tammany Parish officials are expanding a public information campaign across the parish ahead of a December vote on a proposed quarter-cent sales tax intended to support the local criminal justice system. The initiative, promoted by parish government as “Keep St. Tammany Safe,” has included community meetings, videos and presentations explaining the parish’s financial situation and the services that would receive money from the proposed tax. Outreach has included meetings in Lacombe, Covington and Abita Springs, with another community meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Bush Gymnasium on Crawford Cemetery Road. The series gives residents in different parts...

Public Records Show A $17.5 Million City Budget And 540-Day Construction Requirement For The New Facility At 911 Robert Blvd. SLIDELL, La. — Slidell’s long-planned replacement for its aging police headquarters is moving into the construction phase, with public records showing completed bidding and detailed plans for a new police headquarters and city jail complex on Robert Boulevard. City planning records identify the site as 911 Robert Blvd. and describe the project as a police headquarters and jail facility for the Slidell Police Department. Construction documents call for a new two-story police building along with a separate single-story support building that will be used for vehicle evidence processing and related operations. The city solicited bids under Bid No. 26-B015, with...

Covington Nonprofit Adds Appointments for Aug. 19 and Aug. 26 Preventive-Care Special ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — Pet owners across St. Tammany Parish have two upcoming opportunities to save on routine veterinary care through a limited wellness promotion at Northshore Humane Society’s community veterinary clinic in Covington. The program is designed for residents seeking lower-cost preventive care for adult dogs and cats without traveling outside the parish. Northshore Humane Society’s Community Paw-tection Special is scheduled for Aug. 19 and Aug. 26. Adult dogs and cats at least 6 months old can receive 15% off annual wellness exams and vaccines during the promotion. The organization has also advertised reduced prices on certain preventive medications, giving owners a chance to address...

City Council Votes 5-3 to Halt Proposal That Would Have Allowed Drive-Through Alcohol Sales in Slidell Slidell residents will continue to see different rules for drive-through alcohol sales inside the city limits after the Slidell City Council stopped a proposal that would have eliminated the city’s existing prohibition. The council voted 5-3 on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to indefinitely postpone the ordinance, preventing the proposed change from moving forward in its current form. Slidell’s Drive-Through Alcohol Ban Remains in Place The Slidell City Council’s decision means businesses inside Slidell remain prohibited from operating under the drive-through alcohol sales model addressed by the proposed ordinance. The proposal would have removed the city restriction and potentially opened the door...

Sheriff Special Election, Congressional Races And Local Contests Will Bring St. Tammany Voters Back To The Polls This Fall ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. Candidate qualifying for Louisiana's November 3 election entered its final day Friday, August 7, as the field continued to take shape for races affecting voters throughout St. Tammany Parish. The Louisiana Secretary of State's Office set the qualifying period for August 5 through August 7. Local and municipal candidates qualify through the clerk of court in the parish where they are registered to vote, while state and congressional candidates file with the Secretary of State. In St. Tammany, the Clerk of Court serves as the parish's chief elections officer and is responsible for qualifying local candidates, overseeing election-day procedures...

Daily Late Fees End at All 12 Branches, but Charges for Lost or Damaged Materials Remain ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — St. Tammany Parish Library has eliminated daily overdue fines across its 12-branch system, giving residents more flexibility when returning books, DVDs, audiobooks and other eligible materials after their due dates. The parishwide policy took effect Aug. 3, 2026. Existing overdue fines will also be removed from patron accounts, according to information released about the change. Library officials are still asking patrons to return borrowed materials promptly. The fine-free policy removes daily late fees, but it does not allow borrowers to keep library property indefinitely or avoid responsibility for missing and damaged items. Replacement charges may still be added when...

Property Sale Supports Textron Systems’ Planned Expansion and Ends the City’s Maintenance Responsibilities Textron Systems has completed its $3.4 million purchase of the city-owned business campus at 1010 Gause Boulevard, securing long-term control of a property where the defense contractor has operated for years. The City of Slidell announced the completed transaction on July 29. City and company representatives signed the final sale documents earlier in the month, according to the announcement. Mayor Randy Fandal said the purchase reflects Textron Systems’ continued confidence in Slidell and removes the cost of maintaining the property from city taxpayers. The city will receive $3.4 million from the sale, although officials have not announced a detailed plan for how all of the proceeds...

Seuzeneau Says He Is Seeking The Job Ahead Of The Parish’s November Special Election Daniel Seuzeneau, the longtime Slidell Police Department spokesman who later served as interim chief, has announced he is running for St. Tammany Parish sheriff. Multiple local media outlets reported the announcement on Tuesday, July 21, as the race continues to take shape ahead of this fall’s special election. Seuzeneau is a familiar figure in Slidell law enforcement. According to the Slidell Police Department, he was appointed interim chief after Randy Fandal left to become mayor, and previously served as the department’s chief administrative officer. The department says Seuzeneau began his law enforcement career nearly 20 years ago, worked as a patrolman, detective and sergeant, served on an FBI task...