HTX-SLM: Impact 10/28/2025

More than 11,000 voters in Fort Bend County have already cast their ballots in person during the first week of early voting, county data shows.

At the polls: Fort Bend County data shows 11,078 in-person ballots have been cast as of Oct. 26 for the Nov. 4 election, which accounts for over 1.97% of the county’s 560,979 registered voters. Additional ballots have been cast by mail.

At an Oct. 21 meeting, Sugar Land City Council accepted a $15.54 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to assist in making the town more walkable.

Zooming in: The $18.65 million Sugar Land trails project will be completed in two phases, with the city required to provide a 20% local match to the grant—a total of $3.11 million, Transportation and Mobility Manager Melanie Beaman said.

Why it matters: The trails projects are a part of the city’s larger Mobility Master Plan adopted in July 2023, which aims to keep the city safe and connected while being inclusive and promoting an active lifestyle, Beaman said.

Sugar Land's Citadel Office Park developers have announced the addition of two medical tenants as the project nears completion.

The specifics: Although opening dates were not specified, Vice President of ICO Commercial Danna Sossen said the two new tenants include:

• Endocrine & Diabetes Plus Clinic of Houston
• Southwest Nephrology Associates, LLP

• 217 Promenade Way, Sugar Land

Houston’s inaugural Fleet Week event honoring U.S. military has been postponed until 2026 due to what city officials called “significant challenges” due to the federal government shutdown, according to an Oct. 22 news release. 

More details: Fleet Week, a celebration of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard, held in various locations across the country, was originally scheduled to be in Houston from Nov. 5-12, which coincided with the Veteran’s Day federal holiday. Fleet Week Houston was to serve as the closing event for the yearlong celebrations of the Navy and Marine Corps' 250th anniversaries.

What to expect: While no new dates have been announced, city officials said they will be working with the Port of Houston and military leadership to announce when the new dates can be confirmed.

“The city of Houston and the Steering Committee want to ensure our inaugural Fleet Week Houston is an outstanding experience that appropriately honors service members and deepens community-military connections,” a statement from city officials reads.

Texas is home to about 3.5 million small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Estimates show that the average Texas small-business owner could save about $2,500 per year if voters approve an expanded business tax exemption on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: State Proposition 9 would exempt up to $125,000 of a business’s personal property, such as equipment, furniture and vehicles, from taxation. Texas business owners currently receive a tax exemption on property worth $2,500 or less.

“At $2,500, virtually everyone's paying this tax,” NFIB Texas Director Jeff Burdett said in an Oct. 24 interview. “If you have a desk, a computer and a chair, you're probably over $2,500 [in inventory]. … It makes no difference for almost any business.”

At the polls: Early voting in the Nov. 4 election began Oct. 20 and runs through Oct. 31. For more information about the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.