Two candidates are running for Harris County Clerk in the upcoming election. The candidates are Mike Wolfe and incumbent Teneshia Hudspeth.

Key details for voters include:

• Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30.
• Election day is Nov. 3, with polls open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Registered voters are permitted to cast their ballot at any polling location during both early voting and on election day.

The Harris County Commissioners Court approved several funding measures and resolutions during its Sept. 22 meeting. Key decisions from the meeting include:

• Approval of eight escrow agreements for the Harris County Flood Control District to fund flood mitigation projects in multiple watersheds

• Allocation of $181,105 from the general fund to six community organizations to provide meals to homebound senior and disabled residents

• Authorization to apply for a grant to refurbish Tom Bass Park, which could receive $30 million in total funding

• Allocation of $2 million from a state grant to improve trails and amenities at Doss Park

• Approval of 15 resolutions, including recognition for Hispanic Heritage Month and Pet Wellness Month

Demographers from Population and Survey Analysts, or PASA, project that remaining residential and retail growth in the Cy-Fair Fire Department service area will concentrate toward the western regions along Grand Parkway. The Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 board of commissioners received these projections during a Sept. 17 special meeting. The district supports fire suppression and emergency service operations for the department.

Key details from the demographic and tax revenue presentations include:

• The service area is projected to see a 21% population increase by 2035, adding 109,800 new residents.

• Around three-quarters of the residential service area is already developed, and the area has reached a demographic stabilization point.

• The fiscal year 2026-27 budget has a projected shortfall of $8.1 million based on the no new revenue property tax rate of $0.038548 per $100 of valuation.

• A proposed property tax rate of $0.045 per $100 of valuation would generate an additional $3.9 million in property tax revenue for fiscal year 2026-27, compared to the no new revenue rate.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must stop issuing new permits for data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sept. 21.

The overview: His order expands an existing pause on data center development in the state amid consistent public criticism of the booming industry. Abbott, who is running for a fourth term as governor, has recently moved to slow the growth of data centers after calling Texas “the epicenter of AI development" last year.

The context: Hundreds of proposed data centers are currently being audited by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid.

Some developers may be able to get around the ERCOT pause by building in-house power infrastructure that is not connected to the grid, experts have said.

However, any construction project impacting at least 1 acre of land requires permits from TCEQ.

What they're saying: "As Texas faces increasing pressure on our water supplies and electric grid, we need to ensure that data centers operate efficiently and sustainably," said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.