Liberty Hill ISD officials presented projections of its budget for the upcoming fiscal year during the district’s Aug. 3 board meeting.

While the district’s general fund is estimated to be in a $9 million surplus, district documents indicate a shortfall for the district’s debt fund.

By the numbers: The district’s general fund—which pays for routine expenditures like payroll—is estimated to be in the green for the upcoming school year with revenues of less than $136 million outpacing expenditures of more than $126.9 million. Overall, the district projects a surplus of about $9 million.

Projections of the debt service fund indicate a shortfall. While the district forecasts total revenues to be slightly under $53.8 million, district documents show appropriations totaling at more than $56.7 million.

Breaking down the cost: The district’s combined tax rate for the upcoming school year was listed at $1.2298 per $100 valuation, a $0.0091 decrease from the last school year’s tax rate. Although the combined tax rate is decreasing, increased property valuations will lead to higher bills for homeowners.

Ascension Seton will launch a mobile stroke unit in 2027 to serve Central Texans after receiving a $1.25 million from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The unit will be the state’s third mobile stroke facility, joining ones in Houston and El Paso. 

Dive deeper: The stroke unit will serve as “a miniature emergency room on wheels,” said Dr. Rachel B. Pearson, a neurologist at Ascension Seton in Round Rock. The goal is to meet patients where they are, delivering life-saving stroke treatment as quickly as possible, she said. 

The features: The mobile stroke unit will have all of the features of a traditional ambulance, as well as a CT scanner for imaging, equipment for basic labs and the “clot-busting drug” designed exclusively to treat stroke patients. 

Why it matters: Having the mobile unit will eliminate some of the treatment delays by traveling to patients, treating them in the field and taking them to the hospital. The mobile unit will initially serve Williamson County and will later assess the needs of surrounding areas.

Within the next year, Texans will likely see changes to when they can vote early in elections, including expanded weekend voting hours.

The overview: Last year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2753, which shifts Texas’ early voting window closer to election day, cutting out a three-day gap between the two voting periods and adding more Saturday and Sunday voting.

While the changes did not take effect immediately and were designed to help boost voter turnout, local election administrators said the law will also significantly raise costs for municipalities and delay the release of election results.

Election officials said the current three-day break allows staff to set up polling places for election day and prepare submitted ballots so results from early and mail-in voting can be released quickly after the polls close on election night.

The impact: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth estimated that the shift would raise the cost of administering a large election by 30% and increase costs for smaller elections by 9%, due to personnel, equipment and voter education needs.