DTX-PLN: Impact 10/29/2025

Plano officials are considering raising various fees for planning, engineering and building services as part of a broader effort to recoup more of the city’s costs. 

What happened: At an Oct. 13 meeting, Plano City Council members received an update from city officials on proposed additional fees on building inspections, zoning changes and other planning and building services. The proposed fees are set to go before City Council in November for approval.

What it means: City Manager Mark Israelson said the cost recovery efforts have been part of Plano’s fiscal roadmap project that city officials have been working on for the last few years. Plano’s Planning, Engineering and Building Inspections departments are reviewing their current fees to determine what adjustments should be made. The goal is to achieve 80% cost recovery for these three departments by fiscal year 2027-28.

Quote of note: "We do understand a little bit of the rate shock as well, but we think that consistency is extremely important as we move from project to project,” Israelson said. 

Tee Time Bar recently opened, a company representative said.

The business features seven golf simulator bays and two private golf simulator rooms.

Tee Time Bar offers a full-service bar and restaurant. The dining area features large windows overlooking a zen garden. Patio seating is also available.

What they serve: The lunch menu features gluten friendly options, including:

• Tee Time shrimp cocktail
• Crab dip
• Pork belly bites

Huntington Bancshares announced in October that it would acquire Cadence Bank, which has several locations throughout Austin, Dallas and Houston. 

What you need to know: Huntington Bancshares shared an Oct. 27 news release stating that it would acquire Cadence Bank, which has 390 locations throughout the southern U.S. 

The release states that with the acquisition, Huntington will not close any existing Cadence Bank branches. 

Texas homeowners could see larger property tax breaks on this year’s bills if voters approve two state propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: Proposition 13 would raise the property tax exemption on a Texas homeowner’s main residence, known as a homestead exemption, from $100,000 to $140,000. Proposition 11 would give homeowners who are over 65 years old or have a disability a $200,000 exemption.

The exemptions would apply only to taxes charged by public schools.

The impact: Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the Houston Republican who authored the legislation, estimated in June that the average Texas homeowner would see about $484 in annual savings if the tax cuts are approved by voters, with roughly $950 in savings for seniors and people with disabilities. These estimates do not account for potential tax rate increases by local governments.

If voters approve the two ballot measures, the cuts will take effect for the current tax year and appear on homeowners’ upcoming tax bills, according to the Texas House Research Organization.