As Eanes ISD officials project a budget shortfall upwards of $6 million in 2026-27, the board of trustees is continuing to discuss potential budget optimization actions to take in order to reduce the shortfall next year and in following years. 

The options: Based on the optimization actions, district administration put together four potential budget packages to move forward with.

• Package 1: nets $5.3M-$6.4M in savings through increased revenue generation, staffing optimization and a salary freeze 
• Package 2: nets $4.5M-$5.6M in savings through increase revenue generation and staffing optimization, and also includes a 1% salary increase
• Package 3: nets $5.8M-$6.9M in savings through increased revenue generation, staffing optimization and a five-penny VATRE which, if passed, would allow for a 2% staff raise
• Package 4: nets $7.5M-$8.6M in savings through increase revenue generation, staffing optimization and a nine-penny VATRE which, if passed, would allow for a 2% staff raise

Austin's elected officials are preparing a new policy to govern spending in their offices, and readying to start a multiyear audit of all city operations and services.

The details: The proposed reforms came into focus after last fall's Proposition Q election, when voters rejected a tax hike and city officials begin considering new transparency and financial measures. The new council spending policy is now on the table and likely up for official adoption this month, while an ordinance requiring recurring, comprehensive citywide audits remains could be passed as soon as early February.

That ordinance would set up a system for "independent, systemic, and continuous evaluation" of Austin's operations, spending and service delivery. The program would be handled internally by the city auditor's office with support from an outside consultant and likely cover multiple years.

The plan has earned support across the council dais so far, although some officials said they'd like to see estimates for the cost of full efficiency audits before a final vote.

SpaceX continues to expand its footprint in Bastrop County.

The details: The facility at 858 FM 1209 in Bastrop will add an 157,321-square-foot parking garage—an estimated $20 million in upgrades, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Some context: In March, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that a $17.3 million grant awarded to SpaceX through the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund would assist with a project that would add approximately 1 million square space to the site.