Fulshear residents could see water and wastewater rate increases following the creation of a committee by City Council.

Zooming in: At a Dec. 16 meeting, Fulshear City Council created a water and wastewater committee—headed by At-Large Position 1 council member Camron Miller—to discuss rising rates following debate and public comment.

The committee creation comes after city officials recommended a one-year plan to increase base water fees from $19.63 to $23.56, at 5,000 gallons of usage, and volumetric rates from $8.56 to $22.82, according to agenda documents.

Zooming out: With the water rate structure being last set in 2022, Fulshear Utilities Director Ben Glynn said the city needed to raise prices to continue work on water projects as the area's population grows.

What’s next: The committee will present proposed solutions to council at a January meeting. City Council will meet next Jan. 20.

Socarrat is bringing authentic Spanish flavors to Katy.

On the menu: The restaurant's menu is inspired by the culinary traditions of paellas, tapas and Mediterranean cuisine, according to its website. Socarrat also serves various salads, fideuà and desserts.

• 22762 Westheimer Parkway, Katy

With a unanimous vote on Dec. 11, Harris County commissioners reauthorized 100% property tax exemptions for qualified child care providers for 2026 onward in a move that is expected to save thousands of dollars for providers, county officials said.

The full story: Commissioners first approved the 100% property tax exemption for qualified child care centers in March 2024, with the stipulation that the exemption would expire every two years unless commissioners voted for an extension. With the December vote, commissioners also approved removing the expiration clause, which allows the exemption to continue without requiring the two year reapproval from Commissioners Court.

Latest update: Eligible child care providers can apply for the exemption Jan. 1 through March 1.

Quote of note: “Today’s unanimous vote shows that every single one of us on commissioners court, regardless of political party, understands the importance of protecting access to high-quality, early childhood education and supporting the providers who make those opportunities possible,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a news release.

Texans now have a new database to track the results of local bond propositions and tax rate elections, or TREs, in their communities and across the state.

The details: Texas’ Local Government Bond, Tax, and Project Transparency Database was unveiled after state lawmakers passed House Bill 103 this spring. The new law requires the comptroller to compile information about all bonds, tax rate elections and maintenance tax rate changes proposed by local governments in an election, including:

• Ballot language for all tax-related proposals
• How each tax measure would impact the local tax rate or debt service
• The difference between the adopted tax rate and voter-approval tax rate, if applicable
• The entity’s tax rate for the prior year and the tax rate following the election
• A list of projects funded by each tax measure
• The results of each election, including votes for and against a measure