Cy-Fair ISD concluded fiscal year 2024-25 with a smaller budget deficit than initially projected, according to a Nov. 6 financial accountability presentation to the board of trustees.

The overview: In June, CFISD officials projected the district’s budget deficit for FY 2024-25 at approximately $24 million, according to Community Impact’s budget reporting from earlier this year. However, a Nov. 6 presentation of the district’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report shows CFISD spent approximately $27.6 million more than it brought in last fiscal year. 

According to the presentation, though, the district concluded the fiscal year June 30 with an $11.1 million deficit after staff accounted for a net reduction in payroll costs due to unfilled positions.

Quote of note: “It’s good in one way that we were able to save money, but at the same time, it just goes to show the fact that we have a lot of unfilled positions [which are] there for a reason,” trustee Justin Ray said at the Nov. 6 board meeting.

At the Nov. 13 meeting, Harris County commissioners are expected to vote on the county’s worksite safety policy that aims to standardize safety protocols countywide in order to reduce injuries and strengthen worker protections on authorized construction sites. 

Also on the agenda: Two agenda items on the docket are related to how the Harris County engineering department handles its permitting department. The commercial permitting process in Harris County is meant to ensure public welfare and safety, according to county officials. The engineering department will discuss utilizing artificial intelligence to increase efficiency.

Digging deeper: The agenda items come as some new Cy-Fair business owners have told Community Impact the road to opening a business is often paved with unexpected delays in the Cy-Fair area.

Also of note: Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey will also seek discussion and possible action to implement metrics on the permits division.

Harris County Commissioners Court meetings are now being held at 9 a.m. in Downtown Houston. 

Texas is the nation’s largest energy producer, leading other U.S. states in both natural gas production and renewable energy generation, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows. Yet as people, businesses and data centers continue to move to the state, experts say Texas leaders need to harness new strategies to make energy more affordable and ensure the state power grid remains reliable.

The details: Amid high inflation nationwide, energy prices are on the rise in Texas, and residents are feeling the strain, experts said at the Texas Energy Summit, which ran from Nov. 4-6 in Austin.

In a June 2025 report, the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization, found that 65% of low-income Texans recently engaged in “energy-limiting behaviors,” such as turning off their air conditioning to reduce electric bills or underheating their homes in the winter. 

What they're saying: Experts said state lawmakers and officials could invest in energy efficiency and residential demand response programs to tackle affordability and grid reliability issues.