HTX-SLM: Impact 10/24/2025

More Sugar Land businesses will have the opportunity to receive funds for revitalization from the city’s rebranded Retail Refresh Grant.

The program, previously dubbed the Commercial Revitalization Grant, has expanded to include individual retailers, instead of just retail center owners, Sugar Land officials announced in an Oct. 16 news release.

The details: Individual retail improvement projects will be eligible for up to 30% reimbursement of the project’s total cost, while commercial centers will remain eligible for up to 20% reimbursement, per the release.

According to the program’s website, proposals should accomplish development outcomes by:

• Modernizing building facades
• Creating public spaces
• Promoting walkability
• Enhancing parking infrastructure
• Stimulating economic impact
• Innovating with transformative public projects

Missouri City will no longer allow new smoke shops to open within city limits.

What residents need to know: At an Oct. 20 meeting, Missouri City City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to prohibit future smoke shops from opening in city limits. A smoke shop is defined as a business with more than 25% of its retail sales from smoking-related products.

Existing shops will still be allowed to operate in city limits but may lose status if they are abandoned, destroyed or severely damaged, according to agenda documents.

How we got here: An initial moratorium was first discussed in July and put in place at an Aug. 11 special meeting, after former District C council member Anthony Maroulis asked staff to review limiting smoke and vape shops in commercially-zoned districts within city limits, Community Impact reported.

What else: City Council also approved the second reading of an ordinance prohibiting package liquor stores—which sell sealed alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises—within local retail districts.

Two constitutional amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot would impact the operation and oversight of Texas’ judicial system if approved by voters.

The details: State Proposition 3 seeks to require judges to deny bail for certain felony offenses, keeping more defendants in jail as they await trial. Proponents of the measure, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, said in June that it would improve public safety by keeping violent offenders behind bars.

Proposition 12 would rework the 13-member State Commission on Judicial Conduct, allowing the governor to appoint a majority of the commissioners and requiring most sanctions for judges accused of misconduct to be issued publicly. The bipartisan proposition faced pushback from some House Democrats who expressed concerns that allowing the governor to appoint a majority of commissioners would politicize the nonpartisan judicial conduct commission and give Abbott more power to remove from office judges whom he does not agree with.

Zooming out: The measures are among 17 state propositions being considered by Texas voters in the Nov. 4 election.