The Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 board of commissioners are slated to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget during a Sept. 10 special meeting.

Harris County ESD 9 serves as a political subdivision and taxing entity that supports fire suppression and emergency medical service operations for Cy-Fair Fire Department.

Current situation: The board of commissioners proposed a property tax rate of $0.045 per $100 of valuation during the Aug. 27 regular meeting, as previously reported by Community Impact. General Counsel David Manley said the commissioners are able to lower the proposed rate prior to its Sept. 24 adoption, but are unable to raise it.

Assistant Chief of Administration Mike Clements said the district's FY 2026-27 operations budget is projected to see $109.6 million in revenue and $117.8 million in expenditures, resulting in a $8.1 million projected shortfall. 

Before you go: The Harris County ESD 9 board of commissioners is slated to meet Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the District Administration Building for a special meeting.

Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital leaders and staff, community partners and construction personnel met for a topping out ceremony to sign a structural beam as a symbol of the final structural beam's placement atop the hospital's North Tower, according to a Sept. 2 news release.

Three candidates are running to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture in the Nov. 3 election.

The details: Libertarian Austin R. Kelly, Republican Nate Sheets and Democrat Clayton Tucker are vying to become Texas' next commissioner of agriculture. The commissioner's duties include regulating agriculture, administering nutrition programs and providing rural economic development assistance.

How we got here: There is no incumbent in this race after Sheets beat sitting Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in the March Republican primary. Tucker ran uncontested in the March Democratic primary, while Kelly was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

The winner of the November midterm will be sworn in to succeed Miller in January.

Looking ahead: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30 in the midterm election, and Election Day is Nov. 3.