Liberty Hill leaders are considering a $138 million budget aimed at keeping pace with the city’s explosive growth, while keeping the median homeowner’s property tax bill nearly flat. The proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget would mean about $1,600 in city property taxes for a median-value home of $330,763.

The overview: The proposed tax rate of $0.494268 per $100 of assessed value is higher than last year’s $0.469407 rate.

However, the median property tax bill is projected to decrease by about $6 from last year. The budget includes $59 million in operating expenses and $79 million for capital projects, with much of that investment focused on water, roads and other infrastructure.

Liberty Hill’s population grew from about 3,500 in 2020 to more than 13,000 by the end of 2025. City officials say the budget is designed to address that growth while preparing for what’s ahead.

Looking ahead: City Council is expected to vote on the budget and tax rate following a public hearing Sept. 9.

The owners of a Georgetown mainstay Marisol's Mexican Grill have opened a new restaurant, Rodeo Mexican Kitchen & Bar, in Liberty Hill. The new, but similar concept opened near the intersection of Hwy. 1869 and Hwy. 29.

What’s on the menu: The restaurant offers classic Mexican fare like ceviche, pozole and chile verde. The menu also includes "Rodeo Steak," a grilled steak served with salsa, Spanish rice, beans and tortillas. Rodeo Mexican Kitchen & Bar also serves mixed and bottled drinks.

• 13750 W. Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

As the 2026-27 school year kicks off, thousands of families across the Austin area are participating in the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, or TEFA.

The overview: The program provides families funds from the state to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority given to students with disabilities and children from low-income households. Of the more than 100,000 students awarded TEFA funds, more than 1,000 students reside within Austin ISD boundaries, along with thousands more in the wider metro area, according to parent-reported data published Aug. 1.

Zooming in: While thousands of families from the Austin area were awarded TEFA funds, over 1,000 families did not participate in the program after being accepted by the program, according to an information request by Community Impact to the state comptroller. For example, although 574 families zoned for Leander ISD were accepted by the program, 215 opted out, according to the data.

A data center in Hutto, the Texas Municipal Center in Georgetown and a 7 Brew in Austin are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Colovore Hutto ($280 million): This project involves the construction of a 192,694-square-foot, one-story data center building.

2. Texas Municipal Center ($60 million): The Texas Municipal League will be relocating its headquarters to downtown Georgetown.

3. Frontier ER ($2 million): This project involves the construction of a freestanding emergency medical facility.

4. C Store ($1.2 million): A new C store convenience store is coming to Bastrop, with construction expected to conclude next September. 

5. 7 Brew ($400,000): A new 7 Brew location will be coming to Austin. The drive-thru coffee shop has locations in Manor and Round Rock.

Three candidates are running to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture in the Nov. 3 election.

The details: Libertarian Austin R. Kelly, Republican Nate Sheets and Democrat Clayton Tucker are vying to become Texas' next commissioner of agriculture. The commissioner's duties include regulating agriculture, administering nutrition programs and providing rural economic development assistance.

How we got here: There is no incumbent in this race after Sheets beat sitting Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in the March Republican primary. Tucker ran uncontested in the March Democratic primary, while Kelly was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

The winner of the November midterm will be sworn in to succeed Miller in January.

Looking ahead: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30 in the midterm election, and Election Day is Nov. 3.