Bryan City Council voted to adopt the city’s proposed $569 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget and the first reading of its unchanged property tax rate at its Sept. 8 meeting.

What you need to know: The budget for the city of Bryan has steadily increased every year since 2020, according to the city. Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said the city has attributed the rising budgets to inflation, rising costs for materials and other economic factors.

The FY2027 budget, the largest of the decade so far, was approved unanimously by the council after multiple previous hearings. Mayor Gutierrez said he was thankful to the city's financial team for its hard work and multiple thoughtful presentations.

What's next: The first reading of the tax rate was unanimously approved by the council, and the second and final reading is scheduled for Sept. 15.

The approved budget will go into effect on Oct. 1, which is the start of the fiscal year for the city.

The locally owned beverage distributor Kristen Distributing is expanding its operations in north Bryan. On Aug. 4, the company purchased 56.9 acres at Texas Triangle Park from the city of Bryan-Brazos County Economic Development Foundation.

Key details of the expansion project include:

• Plans to build a distribution facility of up to 200,000 square feet adjacent to its existing facility

• Construction must begin within two years, or the foundation can repurchase the property

• The new facility is planned to handle up to 5 million cases annually during its first phase

• Kristen Distributing plans to expand the contract manufacturing area of its existing facility to support its Boots Beverages craft soda line.

Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Bryan since 1998, Kristen Distributing serves more than 2,100 retailers and distributes beverages across 23 Central Texas counties.

Looking for plans this weekend, Sept. 10-13? There will be several 9/11 memorial events, plus family-friendly socials. This list is not comprehensive and events are subject to change.

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: A remembrance ceremony hosted by the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board will take place at Veterans Park. The ceremony will include 5-5-5 bell ringing, wreath laying, a 21-gun salute and Silver Taps, according to Visit College Station.

• Sept. 11, 5:30-7 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 3101 Harvey Road, College Station

Puzzling for a Purpose at Wonderful Words Bookshoppe: Benefiting the Acara Hospice Foundation, puzzlers in teams of up to four are invited to compete to see which team can assemble a 500-piece puzzle the quickest.

• Sept. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

• $100

• 210 W. 26th St., Bryan

College Station Comic Con 2026: Enthusiasts of comics, anime, gaming and superheroes among other fanbases will gather at the Brazos County Expo for a weekend of pop culture. The convention will feature celebrity guests, contests and shopping.

• Sept. 12-13, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

• $20

• 5827 Leonard Road, Bryan

A lifelong passion for hair and beauty can translate into many things, but for Etta Webb-Whitley, her passion turned into a launching pad for a school to help others follow their dreams.

How we got here: A native of Brenham, Webb-Whitley grew up in a household where her family took an interest in their appearance. After working at the post office and helping her sister open a school in Brenham, she set out to open her own business.

“I learned how to pivot,” Webb-Whitley said. “I could always go back to the post office. COVID is what made me see that people in your workspace don’t care about you."

Going forward: Having operated the school since 2021, Webb-Whitley said she doesn’t see herself slowing down in helping others develop themselves professionally and personally.

“If there’s something you want to do, don’t let your age, background or other factors stop you,” Webb-Whitley said.

The Finetta Barber & Beauty Academy has two locations, with one in College Station and the other in Hearne.

Across Texas, the taxes that homeowners pay to their local school districts went down by about 13.6% in 2025, one state senator found.

The overview: Across the board, many Texas counties mailed out reduced property tax bills for the 2025 tax year, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, reported. During a Sept. 1 hearing of the Senate Local Government Committee, he said the average homeowner's property tax bill went down by about $140 last year, falling from $1,037 per year in 2024 to $896 per year in 2025.

Texas' 2026-27 budget includes $51 billion in property tax relief, previous Community Impact reporting shows. Unless the legislature rolls back existing tax exemptions, the state will be required to spend that much or more on tax relief in future bienniums.

How it works: The state does not charge property taxes, meaning homeowners are taxed by local entities such as school districts, cities, counties and municipal utility districts. The Texas Legislature, however, can place limits on how much local governments raise taxes annually and require tax exemptions for certain groups.