BATON ROUGE – Voters statewide will take up party runoffs for a now-open U.S. Senate seat beginning Friday, while early voting dawns in East Baton Rouge Parish this weekend with key tax elections for the local library, park system and the Council on Aging.

Republicans Julia Letlow and John Fleming advanced in their primary last month, while Democrats Gary Crockett and Jamie Davis also moved on toward the Nov. 3 general election. Letlow and Fleming ousted incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, whom President Donald Trump targeted after Cassidy voted to convict the president following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Some voters in the Florida Parishes will also take up races for the Public Service Commission and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Funding issues in East Baton Rouge Parish top the local ballot.

The library system and Council on Aging are trying again for tax renewals, a year after Mayor-President Sid Edwards tried to tap part of their funds to balance the city-parish budget. This year’s so-called “clean” proposals do not include funding for city-parish government.

Having to try again for funding placed the agencies’ requests on the same ballot as one for BREC, the local park system. The combined proposals total 15.46 mills. For a house worth $100,000, the combined taxes on the ballot would be $154.60 a year, or just under $13 a month.

The library system tax, at 9.5 mills, would raise $59.5 million annually to operate its 15 branches. More than 300,000 patrons hold library cards, making it the largest system in the state. Eleven years ago, voters OK’d a higher library tax by a 58-42 margin.

The Council on Aging’s current 2.25-mill property tax was approved in 2016 by a 51-49 edge a decade ago. This year’s proposal is for just 2 mills. It would raise $12.5 million annually for programs targeting the city-parish’s older residents, including Meals on Wheels and senior centers.

BREC’s proposed tax renewal holds steady at 3.96 mills and would generate $24.8 million a year. In 2016, voters approved the tax by a 61-39 margin.

Zachary voters are being asked to take another look at a 20-year, 24-mill property tax for local schools. The Zachary School District wants to raise $8.4 million a year; voters turned down the same plan by a 175-vote margin out of 4,441 votes cast last November.

And in Baker, the local fire district wants a 10-mill, 10-year property tax to raise $937,000 a year for fire department salaries.

OUTSIDE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH:

Republican voters in Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes, along with those in the metro New Orleans area, will choose between Stephanie Hilley and John Young in a party runoff. Democrat Connie Norris and Chris Justin, of no party, are already on the Nov. 3 ballot.

In Tangipahoa Parish, GOP voters will choose between Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder for a BESE post that also includes metro New Orleans. Democrat Angela Hershey was unopposed for her party’s nomination.

Voters will consider only the U.S. Senate runoffs in six area parishes: East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Mary, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

ALSO:

Ascension:

-Road Lighting District No. 7 will take up the renewal of a 5-mill property tax to raise $66,500 annually for street and roadway illumination in the Donaldsonville and Modeste areas.

Assumption:

-Voters parishwide will consider renewing a 5-mill property tax to raise $1.235 million a year for fire protection over the next 10 years.

-Road Lighting District No. 1, in and around Labadieville, wants to renew a 15-mill property tax to raise $160,000 over the next 10 years.

-Napoleonville will take up a 7.02-mill property tax renewal to raise $20,400, beginning in 2028, for street improvements and “any other lawful purpose” in the village.

Livingston:

-Killian wants to impose a 1-cent sales tax for the next 10 years. The $38,400 collected annually would be split among public safety and disaster management (50 percent), infrastructure, roads and drainage (25 percent), beautification and parks (10 percent) and “other legal purposes” (15 percent).

-Fire Protection District No. 4 in the Walker area wants to renew at $32 annual fee to raise $800,000 annually for fire protection.

-Recreation District No. 6 in the Albany area wants to raise $495,000 a year through a 10-mill property tax for 15 years.

St. Helena:

The Parish Hospital District No. 1 wants to extend a 7-mill property tax to raise $426,000 a year for maintenance and operations.

Tangipahoa:

-Voters parishwide are being asked to renew a 4-mill property tax to raise $3.17 million for 10 years to maintain and operate health units and promote public health.