Round Rock gained a new Vietnamese restaurant in November with the opening of Noble Pho in the University Commons retail center.

About the business: The menu includes a variety of appetizers including spring rolls, egg rolls, chicken wings and poached eggs; main dishes such as beef broth pho, oxtail pho, vegan broth pho, bánh mi sandwiches, fried rice, rice plates and vermicelli bowls; and boba tea, as well as Vietnamese coffee.

About the owner: Noble Pho is a northern-style Vietnamese restaurant owned and operated by three friends who share a passion for pho. The restaurant is owned by Candice Lui, Eunice Tsang, and chef Jenna Choe, who are residents of Austin and Round Rock.

• 200 University Blvd., Ste. 530, Round Rock

A fifth Round Rock data center is under consideration by City Council, with the city's governing body set to vote on a measure rezoning a property near A.W. Grimes and East Old Settlers Boulevard to suit that use Dec. 4. 

What you need to know: Council will consider a measure to rezone 29.69 acres near 2501 E. Old Settlers Blvd. for a Skybox data facility. 

About the project: The proposal for the data center shows that the property itself and others it is adjacent to area zoned for industrial use.

Skybox is asking the city to rezone the property to allow a data center, ultimately dividing it into three sections with different uses to establish what is permitted on different parts of the site, such as a data center, substation and open space.

Central Texas residents can support their favorite local nonprofits on Giving Tuesday on Dec. 2.

How it works: Giving Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is focused on showing radical generosity. People are encouraged to engage with, volunteer or donate to a local cause they care about. 

Get involved: For the ninth consecutive year, I Live Here I Give Here will accept donations on Giving Tuesday for various nonprofits in the Central Texas area through its Amplify ATX website. The online platform allows Central Texans to explore giving opportunities, learn about their impact and donate to organizations where they live.

Funds may be directed to a specific nonprofit or donated to the Amplify Fund, which helps support all participating nonprofits in Austin and Central Texas, according to I Live Here I Give Here.

The background: Giving Tuesday was started by a New York-area nonprofit in 2012 and has since spread to over 150 countries, with 34 million people participating globally last year.

On the heels of what proponents have called “historic” property tax relief, some Texas lawmakers are questioning whether the state can afford to continue increasing the tax exemptions passed in 2023 and 2025.

The big picture: Texas homeowners pay property taxes to various local entities, although lawmakers can limit how much entities increase taxes each year and provide state funding to expand tax exemptions.

Texas is spending $51 billion on property tax relief in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 alone and may be required to spend more to maintain existing tax exemptions in future bienniums, lawmakers said.

What they're saying: "We're kind of maxed out at what we can do for property tax reform, from a budget perspective," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a Nov. 20 event.

"$51 billion ongoing, it's a huge amount to continue to support. To think about doing anything more seems very fiscally irresponsible," Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said.

The other side: Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, said creating limits on local government spending would be critical to keeping Texas affordable.