Homeowners in Dripping Springs ISD may see an increase in their tax bill, despite the district proposing a lower tax rate.

The DSISD board of trustees approved the fiscal year 2026-27 budget and discussed the proposed tax rate at a June 22 meeting.

The big picture: The FY 2026-27 general operating budget includes $104.49 million in expenditures and a net shortfall of $1.98 million, a decrease from the current $2.04 million deficit.

The projections: The proposed tax rate for FY 2026-27 is $1.061 per $100 valuation, about a 4-cent decrease from the previous rate. This includes a maintenance and operations rate of $0.711 and an interest and sinking rate of $0.35.

M&O tax revenue funds daily operations, such as teacher salaries, and are subject to recapture. I&S taxes are used to pay for bond debt and are not subject to recapture. DSISD has not adjusted the I&S rate since FY 2016-17, according to district documents.

Looking ahead: The board will approve the final FY 2026-27 tax rate in September

Voters will decide this fall whether to adopt a new requirement for citywide third-party audits, on the heels of City Council's approval of a separate recurring "efficiency assessment" program.

The details: The concept of wide-ranging external auditing was supported by officials in the wake of last November's failed tax rate election, and council adopted a citywide audit program as proposed by Mayor Kirk Watson earlier this year. However, calls for additional reviews continued from outside City Hall.

The political group Save Austin Now, a top donor against Proposition Q, had pushed for third-party city auditing since last year through a petition for an "Independent Affordability and Efficiency Initiative" of Austin's government, which it submitted it to the city for certification on June 2.

On June 22, the petition was certified with more than 20,000 registered voters in support and the measure will appear on Austin's November ballot. 

UMusic Hospitality and Lifestyle, an affiliate of Universal Music Group, will join the White Rocks Amphitheater development in the Hill Country to spearhead the hospitality and residential components of the project, branded as UMusic Hotel & Private Residences Austin.

The overview: The White Rocks development is located on a 71-acre plot in unincorporated Travis County near Hwy. 71. The project is expected to include a 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, 150 hotel rooms and 600 private residences.

The details: The UMusic Hotel will feature 150 rooms and 60 private residences. The hotel residences will consist of 1,350-square-foot studios to 3,300-square-foot duplexes, ranging from approximately $1,150 to $1,450 per square foot, according to White Rocks spokesperson Michelle Doss.

The issue: The development has received opposition from city officials and residents, citing the project’s environmental impact.

What’s next: Pending approvals, construction of the UMusic Hotel, the Preserve I and the amphitheater is anticipated to begin in early 2027, Doss said.

An apartment complex in Cedar Park and a central kitchen for the Austin State Support Living Center, or ASSLC, are among the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Cedar View ($82 million): Cedar View will include approximately 425 apartment units and approximately 12,000 square feet of indoor amenity space.

2. Austin SSLC Replacement Kitchen Building ($11.1 million): This project involves the new construction of approximately 9,600 square feet of space for a central kitchen facility at the Austin SSLC Campus.

3. Lakeline Boulevard Shared Use Path ($7.4 million): This project includes the construction of approximately 4 miles of 8- to 10-foot shared-use path from New Hope Drive to Little Elm Creek.

4. Connie's Last Stand ($3 million): This project involves the renovation of a 2,244-square-foot historic home with a 1,000-square-foot glass conservatory addition to be used as a restaurant.

5. Old Stagecoach Road from Center Street to Six Creeks Boulevard ($1.7 million): The roadway will be reconstructed to include pedestrian elements.