What happened: West University Place officials discussed proposed amendments to strengthen the city's electric micromobility devices ordinance at their Sept. 14 meeting. The proposals, presented by council members Kalie Rainsberger and Clay Brett, included headlights for nighttime operation, violation fines and impounding, registering devices with the city, and age restrictions. Officials also discussed other options, such as adding parts of the ordinance from Highland Park in Dallas, which has banned e-scooters on public streets and sidewalks for seven years. Other suggestions included:

• Requiring taillights in addition to headlights on devices

• Banning the use of the devices in city parks

• Banning e-bikes from sidewalks, walkway trails or pedestrian areas

• Prohibiting electronic device use while operating an e-bike

• Requiring anyone under 21 to wear a helmet

What's next: Council did not pass any official changes but voted to add the suggested items to the ordinance. The city attorney will draft an updated ordinance for council to consider at its Sept. 28 meeting.

District Chiropractic opened for its soft opening period on Sept. 8, according to owner Dr. Becky King. A grand opening event is scheduled for Oct. 10. Located on the east side of Houston's Museum District, the practice is a satellite clinic associated with Dr. Nataly Perez Chiropractor + Acupuncturist. Dr. King provides and personalizes all services, which include:

• Soft tissue therapy

• Graston/instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization treatments

• Cupping

• Electrical stimulation

• Prenatal chiropractic care

• The Webster Technique

• Kinesiology therapeutic taping, or KT taping

• Dry needling

One more thing: District Chiropractic is located inside Urban Office at 4900 Travis St., Ste. 112, Houston. Clients can book appointments by filling out an online form or by texting the phone number listed on the practice's official Instagram page.

Houston ISD’s deputy superintendent has resigned, according to a Sept. 17 news release from the district.

The gist: HISD Deputy Superintendent Kristen Hole will move out of state, according to the news release. Hole’s family had already relocated, but she split time between her new home and Houston to oversee the implementation of new programs that launched at HISD with the start of the 2026-27 school year in August.

What they're saying: “Kristen has given a great deal to this District, both professionally and personally,” HISD Superintendent Mike Miles said via the release. “We understand and respect her decision that the time has come to be with her family. On behalf of HISD, I thank her for her service and wish Kristen and her family all the best in this next chapter.”

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out these trending stories across the southern portion of the Greater Houston area from Sept. 14-18.

1. Tesla considers Fort Bend County for solar manufacturing project

2. New Paris Baguette bakery coming to Missouri City

3. House of Pies coming soon to Webster

4. New steak, seafood restaurant opens in Friendswood

5. Houston ISD deputy superintendent leaves district

6. Shipley Donuts celebrates 90th birthday with limited-time ‘favorites box,’ value deals

The Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $3.095 billion budget, and one of the highest property tax rates in the county’s history with a 3-2 vote during its Sept. 17 meeting.

What you need to know: Taxpayers will see a 7.6% property tax rate increase in comparison with last year after the court approved a rate of $0.67 per $100 of home value. The court also adopted the 2026-27 budget amid a projected shortfall of about $181 million.

The property tax rate will cost the average homeowner $193 per year, Harris County Office of Management and Budget Director Daniel Ramos previously said.

The details: Some of the major drivers of cost were healthcare, pay equity and the justice system. Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said the county’s cost to provide healthcare increased $89 million this year compared with last. The court also approved pay raises for law enforcement and some elected officials in August, with the constables, district attorney, county attorney, district clerk and tax assessor-collector set to make $305,000 annually. The budget includes $15 million in additional funding for indigent defense, with the goal of the county’s Public Defender’s Office to represent 50% of eligible cases, according to a press release.

The court oversees tax rates for the county’s general fund, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Port of Houston Authority and Harris Health. It also sets the budget for those entities, with the exception of the port authority.

About 80% of the county’s budget is funded through property taxes.

Some Texas Republican leaders have vowed to get rid of the property taxes that homeowners pay to their local public school districts, and lawmakers are analyzing how much it would cost to do so.

The big picture: Texas school districts collect about $29 billion per year in maintenance and operations taxes, which cover schools' daily expenses.

Of that $29 billion in school tax revenue, the state comptroller's office estimates that about $8.6 billion is paid by homeowners, and the rest comes from commercial and industrial property taxes.

This means the state would need to spend at least $8.6 billion annually to zero out homeowners' school property tax bills, officials said.

Quote of note: "Broadly speaking, you have a question about how much you want to fund schools, and then separately, where does that money come from?" Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said during a Sept. 15 legislative hearing. "If you have a target of how much you want to spend, you need to make sure you have enough variable revenue sources to reach that."