The Hutto City Council approved its budget and tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year at its Sept. 3 meeting.

What you need to know: The $315.1 million city budget is supported by a tax rate of $0.397011 per $100 valuation, the city’s no-new-revenue tax rate. This is higher than the 2025-26 tax rate of 0.385928.

The rate will still generate $1.35 million more in property tax revenue for the city than the previous year due to new property growth and development, Mayor Mike Snyder said.

The median-valued homestead property in Hutto dropped from $351,580 in 2025-26 to $329,770 in 2026-27. Because commercial property valuations dropped more sharply than residential ones, a larger proportion of the tax burden has shifted onto homeowners, City Manager James Earp said.

Dig deeper: Hutto’s FY 2026-27 capital improvement plan contains more than $214 million in investments. Projects include roads, intersections, sidewalks, parks, police and public safety facilities, water and wastewater infrastructure, and drainage.

The proposed general fund budget totals about $37.3 million in revenue and expenditures.

During the month of August, Community Impact published 42 stories about the Pflugerville and Hutto area, including updates on new developments, local business and dining features, and news from city and county government.

Here’s a roundup of the six most-read articles.

1. Hutto, Williamson County poised for $674M Blue Origin facility

2. New dessert shop coming to Pflugerville

3. H-E-B plans store upgrades in Pflugerville

4. Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue in Pflugerville closes at the end of August

5. Pflugerville ISD voters to decide on joining Austin Community College taxing district

6. Pflugerville City Council votes to end Flock Safety contract

As Williamson County’s population grows, local officials are working to get ahead of water demand.

At a Sept. 3 Round Rock Chamber Momentum breakfast, County Judge Steven Snell, Round Rock Public Works director Michael Thane, and Brazos River Authority CEO and General Manager David Collinsworth answered questions on a panel about the future of water planning and infrastructure in the county.

In a nutshell: Thane said an upcoming 12-month study of 20 of the county’s largest water utilities will identify immediate water supply and treatment shortfalls as well as plan regional solutions.

“One utility cannot afford to build the infrastructure by themselves, so there may be many solutions,” Thane said. “There will be regional solutions where these water utilities in Williamson County work together to help build out that infrastructure, whether it’s treatment or transmission pipelines across the county.”

Stay tuned: Thane said a contract for the regional water study, estimated to cost about $500,000, will head to Williamson County Commissioners Court for approval soon.

Several transportation projects across the Austin metro are moving forward, with new construction, funding and schedule updates.

The details: Hays County secured more than $39 million in federal funding for a planned $49 million Centerpoint Road overpass over the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. The project is in the right-of-way acquisition and final design stages.

In Pflugerville, construction on Parkway Drive is expected to begin in mid-September following City Council’s approval of a $3.1 million construction contract. Work is scheduled through July 2027.

The MoPac South expansion in Austin is now estimated to cost $1.3 billion, an increase of more than $400 million. The project would add express lanes and shared-use paths between Cesar Chavez Street and Slaughter Lane.

Meanwhile, Round Rock’s Red Bud Lane North widening remains on schedule despite weather delays. Construction also continues on Cedar Park’s Toro Grande Boulevard improvements. In Buda, final asphalt paving has begun on Middle Creek Drive following substantial completion in August.

Four candidates are running for Texas lieutenant governor—the second-in-command to the governor—in the Nov. 3 election.

What's happening: Libertarian Anthony Cristo, Democrat Vikki Goodwin and Green Party candidate Kevin McCormick are challenging Republican incumbent Dan Patrick, who is seeking a fourth term.

The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

How we got here: Patrick won his Republican primary race in March, while Goodwin advanced to the general election after beating another Democrat in a May primary runoff, Community Impact reported. Cristo and McCormick were selected as their parties' respective candidates during nominating conventions in April.

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