The Bastrop Building Block, or B3, Code could soon be replaced. 

The details: During a Nov. 18 Bastrop City Council meeting, the Development Services Department proposed to retire the B3 Code, a form-based code, and replace it with the Bastrop Development Code. 

Brittany Epling, a senior planner with the city of Bastrop, told Bastrop City Council that the Bastrop Development Code will keep “the most important intentions” of the B3 Code and ensure that regulations are “clearer, simpler and more predictable to administer.”

“The Bastrop Development Code is intended to guide land use and development through clear standards and consistent procedures so that growth remains authentically Bastrop, fiscally and environmentally sustainable, and thoughtfully planned to meet future needs,” she said in a staff report. 

Residents and visitors can map out their holiday plans in Bastrop with a lineup that includes festive model trains, live shows, downtown caroling and more. 

Bastrop Christmas Tree Lighting and River of Lights: Attendees can enjoy live music and sweet treats while Santa Claus and Bastrop city officials light the Christmas tree at Fisherman’s Park—kick-starting the half-mile River of Lights display.

• Nov. 28-Jan. 5, dusk-10 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• Fisherman’s Park, 1200 Willow St., Bastrop

• Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• Downtown Bastrop

• Dec. 20, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
• $10 (admission)
• Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St., Bastrop

Nonprofit organizations and churches will host free Thanksgiving meals across the Austin area, including events in Dripping Springs, Bastrop, Leander, Cedar Park, Georgetown and more. Volunteers are also encouraged to get involved by reaching out to organizations directly. 

United Way for Greater Austin 
United Way for Greater Austin will host its annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing, providing the community with turkey and trimmings. 

• Nov. 25, 4-8 p.m.
• Free
• 900 Barton Springs Road, Austin

This year, voters in communities across Texas were skeptical of local property tax hikes and supportive of larger tax breaks for homeowners and businesses, results from the Nov. 4 election show.

The overview: Voters in Community Impact’s coverage areas approved just over half of the local bond propositions and tax rate elections on the November ballot, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Statewide, 40% of tax rate elections and 45.9% of bond propositions passed, according to Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican and property tax policy writer.

Zooming in: Cities, counties, school districts and other local government entities use funding from tax hikes to build new schools and facilities; hire educators and first responders; and maintain local infrastructure. However, amid high inflation nationwide, more Texas residents are tightening their belts and asking local officials to do the same, fiscal policy experts told Community Impact.

Local governments whose tax hikes were shot down are now grappling with how to make cuts while maintaining essential services, Community Impact reporting shows.