Tea shop franchise HTeaO is slated to open its first Leander location on Dec. 5.

The details: The menu features a variety of sweet and unsweet flavored iced teas such as peach ginger, mint and strawberry passion, as well as a secret menu with flavors such as gingerbread man, apple pie and blueberry muffin. Customers can also create custom tea drinks by mixing flavors. 

Also on the menu are lemonades, hot chocolate and hot and iced coffee drinks, including macchiatos, lattes and an Americano. 

Something to note: The store's grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held Dec. 5 with the Leander Chamber of Commerce and other officials.

• 11780 Hero Way West, Leander

Behavioral Innovations, a clinical therapy firm specializing in helping young people with autism, opened its newest facility in Leander in November.

The details: The office specializes in applied behavioral analysis therapy to children on the autism spectrum. ABA therapy aims to explore the way students behave, learn and interact with their environment to help develop life skills while addressing challenging behaviors, according to the company’s website. Behavioral Innovations has been practicing since 2000 and has facilities in six states, including locations in San Antonio and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

• Opened Nov. 10
• 2629 Palmera Ridge Blvd, Bldg. 4, Leander

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.