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Pearland City Council member Tony Carbone on Jan. 9 formally announced his bid for Pearland mayor in the upcoming March 3 election. 

About the candidate: Carbone, a sixth-generation Pearland native, was elected to City Council in 2019 and has served three times as mayor pro tem, a role that acts as mayor when the mayor is absent, according to the city’s website. 

One more thing: Following Carbone’s announcement, Brazoria County Constable Buck Stevens, who was also running for mayor, announced he would withdraw his candidacy and endorsed Carbone.

Alvin ISD’s board of trustees is scheduled to review a proposed amendment to the 2025-26 budget during its Jan. 13 meeting. 

The amendment outlines a plan to allocate additional funding toward several high-priority needs that were not included in the initial budget, as well as a small number of unplanned expenditures, according to district documents. 

The details: If approved, the amendment would allocate $5,846,271, with most of the funding directed toward maintenance and technology improvements across the district.

Less than a month away from when Harris County Commissioners Court will hold a formal public hearing on the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in the Texas Medical Center, members of the Hermann Park Conservancy hosted the first town hall Jan. 7, alongside Harris Health officials, to inform the community about the group’s stance on the proposed land condemnation.

The standing-room-only audience gathered at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion at Hermann Park to hear from several city, county and state officials. HPC President and CEO Cara Lambright said Houston already ranks poorly when it comes to park access. 

Quote of note: "Parkland is not replaceable," Lambright said. “It is an endangered species, and once taken, it is generally gone forever."

Next steps:

• Jan. 29: public hearing of Chapter 26 of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Code to take place at Harris County Commissioners Court
• February-March: additional review and public comment
• March: Harris County commissioners to vote

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