Katy ISD residents could see the same tax rate for the 3rd consecutive year amid a $24.9M shortfall
Katy ISD Chief Financial Officer Chris Smith announced that the district’s general fund budget for the 2025-26 school year is set at $1.15 billion, with a projected nearly $25 million deficit—$7.7 million of which went to raises not subsidized by the 89th Texas Legislature.
Despite the shortfall, the district is proposing to maintain its tax rate at $1.12 per $100 of property valuation for the third consecutive year. Smith maintains the actual shortfall figure will be smaller, if not a surplus entirely, due to the district’s history of underspending and property value audit recoveries.
The breakdown: There is expected to be $1.15 billion in expenditures, with over 89% associated with payroll costs, according to the presentation. However, revenues are only expected to come in at about $1.13 billion, with 60% from state sources, 39% from local sources and less than 1% from federal sources.
Moving forward: The board is expected to vote on tax rate budget adoption at its Aug. 26 meeting.
Orange Tree Oral Surgery & Implant Center now offering dental surgeries in Katy
Orange Tree Oral Surgery & Implant Center has opened its doors in Katy.
Zooming in: The practice, headed by owner Dr. Brian Ryu, offers wisdom teeth and other teeth extractions, traumas, IV sedation and other specialized dental care, Ryu said.
Orange Tree works with all preferred provider organizations and is in-network with Delta Dental, Ameritas and Humana, among other dental insurance options.
CI Foodie: 6 new restaurants to try around Greater Houston
Check out the following restaurant news from across the Houston metro, as recently reported by Community Impact.
Best Bagel Shop From cinnamon raisin to jalapeño cheddar, the Best Bagel Shop sells both traditional and savory bagels made in-house.
Staff recommend pairing bagels with signature cream cheese options like vegetable or scallion cream cheese, as well as meats like smoked salmon and turkey. The shop also serves coffee, pastries, other breakfast items and sandwiches.
Opened July 3
3833 Richmond Ave., Houston
BnX Burgers & Fries The restaurant offers hamburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, jalapeno cheeseburgers, patty melt and smash burgers. Chicken products include a grilled chicken sandwich, crispy chicken sandwich and a chicken tender basket.
Texas House greenlights mid-decade congressional redistricting plan
The Texas House signed off on a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts Aug. 20. The vote came two days after approximately two dozen House Democrats ended a two-week walkout in protest of the redistricting effort.
The overview: Rep. Todd Hunter, a Corpus Christi Republican who filed the proposed map, said 37 of Texas’ 38 congressional districts would be redrawn, with “the primary changes focused [on] five districts for partisan purposes.”
“While there's no guarantee of electoral success, Republicans will now have an opportunity to potentially win these… five new districts,” Hunter said.
The debate: House Democrats decried Texas’ proposed map as “illegal and racially discriminatory,” arguing that it would “dilute” minorities’ voting power by dividing historically Black and Hispanic communities into multiple districts.
“Texans and Americans all across the country are watching,” Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, said. “They know this map before us is a calculated maneuver to diminish the voices of the very communities that power Texas.”
House Republicans maintained that race was not considered when the new lines were drawn.
