The Hutto City Council had a preliminary budget presentation for the upcoming fiscal year at its June 18 meeting, detailing the city's financial outlook and strategic priorities.

What you need to know: Finance Director Alberta Barrett outlined a projected certified property value of approximately $6.4 billion, noting that a drop in existing values may necessitate a higher no-new-revenue tax rate.

Barrett explained that existing property values in the city are lower than they have been in the past. Because these property values are dropping, the no-new-revenue tax rate inherently needs to become higher. Barrett estimated that the no-new-revenue rate will be 0.399627, while the voter approval tax rate is estimated at about 0.431749.

“The existing property values are dropping, and when that happens, your no-new-revenue rate becomes higher,” Barrett said. “So, our existing values are lower than what they have been in the past. And so, that's what supports that understanding that our no-new-revenue rate will increase sales tax.”

City, county, state and federal officials broke ground on a $44.5 million Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Round Rock on June 18. 

About the project: As reported by Community Impact in June, Veterans Affairs data shows that Williamson County is home to nearly 40,000 veterans. Despite a growing population, the only Austin-area VA health care clinics are located in Cedar Park and southeast Austin, limiting nearby care options for area veterans.

To help close this gap, the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System is building a $44.5 million VA outpatient clinic in Round Rock. The 63,808-square-foot facility is expected to open in 2027 and provide primary and preventative care, mental health support, and other specialty services.

What's next? The facility is expected to be operational by winter 2027. 

Changing drinking preferences are hitting retail shelves across Central Texas, with THC- and CBD-infused drinks increasingly positioning themselves as alternatives to traditional alcohol.

A closer look: Shayda Torabi, the cofounder of RESTART CBD + THC—a hemp retailer based in Austin—said many consumers are drinking less alcohol while actively looking for an alternative with an effect, not just a mocktail—what she referred to as the “sober curious movement.”

“People don't just want an adaptogenic drink, they don't just want a fizzy knockoff cosmopolitan. They want that drink that they're subbing alcohol for to have some experience, to have some effect,” Torabi said. “I think that's where cannabis beverages have really nicely parlayed into this next generation of consumers.”

What you should know: Torabi explained that many consumable hemp products can range from 2 milligrams to 10 milligrams of THC, but some products contain dosages as high as 100 milligrams. For first-time users, Torabi recommends starting with a low dose, around 2.5 milligrams of THC.

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation project updates.

Upcoming projects
RM 1431 road and intersection improvements
Project: The project will span New Hope Drive to Bagdad Road, and the intersection of RM 1431/Whitestone Boulevard and 183A Toll in Cedar Park.
Update: Preliminary engineering and design of the intersection is next. 

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: $11.9 million (road), $15.9 million (intersection)
• Funding source: city of Cedar Park, Mobility Authority, Surface Transportation Block Grant

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2026
• Cost: $5.8 million
• Funding source: Type B sales tax

• Timeline: 2023-26
• Cost: $91.5 million
• Funding source: Waterloo Greenway, city of Austin Tax Increment funding, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Baylor Scott & White Health’s “Help Me Decide” virtual artificial intelligence tool aims to help patients navigate care options and avoid unnecessary emergency room visits.

Guided by clinician oversight, patients describe their symptoms, and AI points them to the most appropriate option, including e-visits, urgent care, a primary care appointment, nurse triage or emergency care.

The overview: Help Me Decide is an AI tool designed to reduce guesswork and confusion during stressful moments when patients may be feeling unwell by asking questions about their symptoms, said Dr. Camille Bradley, a family medicine doctor at Baylor Scott & White.

“[Help Me Decide] can make a really big difference in getting to the right place at the right time, which in medicine, is half the battle,” Bradley said.

The details: The tool asks patients a variety of questions in order to better understand their symptoms and the urgency of their situation. It will then make a recommendation for patients based on the answers.