College Station City Council approved a property tax increase and the city’s $576 million fiscal year 2026-27 capital budget after hours of discussion Aug. 27 about spending, inflation and the city’s financial outlook.

What you need to know: College Station’s new approved rate is $0.530254 per $100 valuation.

Council members Bob Yancy and David White raised concerns about the $576 million capital budget and tax increase. If the capital budget was passed, property taxes would account for 37% of the total budget, according to the city.

Going forward: The council approved the property tax increase in a 6-1 vote.

• For: Nichols, Smith, Wright, White, McIlhaney, Shafer

• Against: Yancy

The city’s FY27 capital budget passed in a 5-2 vote.

• For: Nichols, Smith, Wright, McIlhaney, Shafer

• Against: Yancy, White

The new tax rate and budget are expected to take effect Oct. 1.

The city of College Station sits in a unique position for the 2026-27 football season with city-wide traffic monitoring for game day congestion. The city's traffic operations team is set to keep traffic flowing even with the large crowds.

The overview: The city works with Texas A&M University, the College Station Police Department and other agencies to manage traffic during game days.

Senior Traffic Engineer Randell Smith told Community Impact the city now maintains and operates more than 100 cameras in two control centers with an on-call 24/7 crew to help with maintenance.

Game day traffic operations last around four hours, with crews aiming to complete traffic changes and equipment removal within two hours after a game.

How it works: The city uses fiber-connected cameras to monitor traffic in real time. As older cameras are replaced, the city is adding models with artificial intelligence capabilities that can detect and track vehicles, buses and pedestrians.

The impact: Smith said residents are expected to have less congestion on the roads during Aggie football games this year. 

College Station Mayor John Nichols announced the sale of a portion of midtown land, making way for a 100,000 square-foot Bass Pro Shops location. The announcement kicked off the Aug. 27 College Station City Council meeting.

What Bass Pro offers: The store sells a variety of outdoor goods, including fishing equipment, firearms, boats and clothing items and accessories. Certain Bass Pro locations also have restaurants and entertainment.

Stay tuned: With the addition, Midtown Business Park will see a variety of mixed-use space around the planned baseball and softball complex. As previously reported by Community Impact, the complex is set to be a "massive economic engine” for the city and attract millions in revenue.

• To open in 2028
• 4255 Hwy. 6 S., College Station

Need to catch up on news from the past week in the Bryan-College Station area? Check out these five stories.

1. Portion of Texas Avenue in Bryan closing for construction on admin building

2. College Station ISD weighs district's future as enrollment declines, admin building advances

3. Bryan announces Messer air separation facility to open in 2027

4. Texas A&M University names new interim provost, executive VP

5. Bryan-College Station encourage water conservation during summer heat
    

Republican candidate Chris Gober will face off against Democratic candidate Caitlin Rourk in the Nov. 3 election for U.S. House District 10.

Digging Deeper: Texas' 10th Congressional District covers the northwestern portion of the greater Houston area, northern Austin, north Austin suburbs including Pflugerville, and west Austin suburbs such as Lakeway and Bee Cave.

The district has been represented by Michael McCaul since 2005, but McCaul is not seeking reelection after his current term.

Community Impact reached out to the candidates running in the general election for the U.S. House District 10 race. Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents.

What's next: Voter registration ends Oct. 5. 

Early voting in several local and state races runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.