Pflugerville residents will not be voting on a bond this November after city leaders decided against a bond election at their Aug. 11 meeting.

How we got here: Following recommendations from a bond advisory committee and a community survey with over 500 responses, staff presented council with three potential bond propositions, totaling $87.4 million.

One of the propositions would fund a $20.6 million new animal shelter.

What they’re saying: Several council members said now is not the time to call a bond election. Council member Melody Ryan said the city has six major projects totaling nearly $1 billion that are all in progress as well as 2020 bond projects that are just starting.

“We’re not in the business of putting bonds to fail,” Place 4 Council Member Rudy Metayer said. “We heard back from the citizens that, at this moment in time, we know these are things that the city needs, but not right now given affordability and inflation.”

Chocolate Bash, a Southern California-based dessert shop, is coming to Pflugerville’s Stone Hill Town Center, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The details: The shop offers waffles, crepes, pastries, shakes, coffee, hot chocolate and other desserts. The menu features items such as a Dubai chocolate strawberry cone, a brownie ice cream cup and cream puffs.

Chocolate Bash opened its first location in Newport Beach, California, in 2015 and has since expanded across California with additional locations in Arizona and New York. This will be the first location in Texas.

According to the filing, the project is estimated to cost $350,000 and construction will begin on Sept. 1. Work is set to wrap up on Feb. 5.

• 1608 Town Center Blvd., Ste. 150, Pflugerville

Williamson County commissioners set the maximum tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27 at the no-new-revenue rate of $0.421547 per $100, saying that residents could see a decrease on their county tax line next year.

By capping the proposed rate at this level, no public hearing is required.

What it means: The no-new-revenue rate calculates the property tax rate that would generate the exact same amount of revenue as last year from existing properties. Williamson County’s current tax rate is $0.413776 per $100.

Because of adjustments in overall home values, residents could experience a reduction in their county property tax bills if the proposed rate is finalized.

Digging deeper: The proposed tax rate supports the county’s recommended general fund budget of $411.6 million. For the road and bridge budget, the budget department recommends a $74.94 million budget, and the recommended budget for the county’s debt service comes out to $232.3 million.

What’s next: Commissioners and county officials will continue finalizing the budget through August, with final adoption votes scheduled for September.

Ahead of the 2026-27 school year, public school leaders in Community Impact’s coverage areas shuttered at least nine individual schools to respond to repeated state accountability issues and stave off state intervention. A new Texas Education Agency rule may make it harder for districts to do so in the future.

The details: Beginning Aug. 16, if a district closes a D- or F-rated campus and transfers the largest share of students from the closed campus to a school with a C, D or F rating, the closed campus’ rating will be assigned to the new campus. 

Districts will only avoid transferring a shuttered school’s rating history if they relocate a plurality of students to an A- or B-rated campus.

Stay tuned: The TEA is scheduled to release A-F ratings for the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 14. If a school receives five failing ratings in a row, the TEA is required under state law to close that campus or replace the district’s board of trustees with a state-appointed board of managers.