HTX-SKL: Impact 8/20/2026

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Top Story

Harris Health seeks tax rate increase amid inflation, more underfunded patients

Harris Health, the county’s public healthcare provider, proposed a tax rate increase for the upcoming fiscal year to the Commissioners Court Aug. 17.

The background: Victoria Nikitin, Harris Health’s chief financial officer, asked the court to consider a $0.1 increase to last year’s revenue rate. Harris Health also proposed receiving $10 million from the county, which would be broken into $6 million in “waived revenue” and a $4 million placeholder in operating expenses to support county services.

“This budget is a really tight one for us in the sense that we are still having a lot of processes that are in flight, related to technology and other strategic initiatives...but the majority of that is really due to inflation,” Nikitin said.

Stay tuned: If approved, the rate would go into effect Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

Explore the full story.

Local Eats

Ga U Muoi Hoa Tieu Houston opens specialty Vietnamese market in Spring

Ga U Muoi Hoa Tieu Houston officials said the Vietnamese market opened a new location in the Spring area in early August.

What they offer: According to the website, Ga U Muoi Hoa Tieu is a Vietnamese specialty food and takeout shop offering a diverse menu selection.

A few menu items offered included popcorn chicken, grilled chicken dishes and seafood. The shop also offers Vietnamese sauces, dried shrimp and other Vietnamese snacks.

Beyond the classroom: How policy shifts, budget strains are reshaping Houston-area public schools

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$18.6M flood mitigation project coming to Cypress Creek watershed

The Cypress Creek watershed is receiving 793 acre-feet of additional stormwater storage capacity, with the goal of reducing flooding risks.

At a glance: Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, Harris County Flood Control District Director Marcus Stuckett and other officials announced a $18.6 million construction contract that will increase the watershed’s capacity at a groundbreaking ceremony held Aug. 19.

The watershed will connect with the T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin, which is estimated to have 1,200 acre-feet of stormwater storage capacity upon completion, Stuckett said.

The impact: Jim Robertson, chairman of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project, told Community Impact the watershed deals with “very significant” flooding, which the region experienced during the Tax Day Flood in 2016 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Learn more.

Stay In The Know

St. Luke’s Health to adopt CommonSpirit Health name

St. Luke’s Health will add its parent company to its name in October as it expands its partnership with Baylor School of Medicine, officials announced in an Aug. 17 news release.

Read all about it: The name addition aims to unite and emphasize the shared values between St. Luke’s Health and CommonSpirit Health, a faith-based healthcare provider that serves as a parent company for over 2,300 care sites in the nation, according to the release.

The name change also aims to bridge the local and national networks.

Zooming out: Over the past year, Baylor School of Medicine and St. Luke’s have also expanded their partnership to invite more Baylor specialists to join St. Luke’s.