Richardson voters could see up to $115 million for street and alley construction projects included in the city’s 2026 bond package.

The big picture: Street projects funded by the city’s bond would be primarily made up of reconstruction projects that flagged as needing repairs in the city’s latest pavement analysis but were left off of the 2021 bond program due to funding constraints, Assistant City Manager Charles Goff said.

Diving in deeper: Council also discussed potentially including funding for street rehabilitation projects that don’t require full reconstruction, something the city has not done in the past.

Doing so would direct $20 million-$25 million of the proposition to various concrete panel replacement projects around the city, freeing up “roughly $2 million” from the city’s Street Rehabilitation Fund, Goff said.

Khashoka Middle Eastern Cuisine opened in Richarson in November, serving up recipes from Jordan and the Middle East.

The details: The menu includes Jordanian mansaf, a rice and lamb dish considered the national dish of Jordan, other traditional dishes like fatteh and kofta, as well as hummuses and dips, salads and skillets.

• Opened November

A new sports bar and grill is open in Plano.

What you need to know: Big Mike’s Bar and Grill, owned by Michael and Jennie Cancelmi, opened in late November. The menu features American pub fare with a western New York twist, drawing on the pair’s roots in the region. Michael Cancelmi said they will offer their take on “garbage plates,” a dish native to Rochester, New York, by blending his favorite elements from several Rochester classics to create a unique version.

• 3200 Alma Drive, Plano

Waymo is gearing up to roll out fully autonomous driving in Houston and Dallas.

The gist: The move comes as Waymo begins driverless operations in Miami, with launches planned in four additional cities—Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando—over the next several weeks, according to a Nov. 18 news release.

Waymo leaders said expanding to new markets has become increasingly streamlined thanks to its “generalizable” Waymo Driver and a consistent operational playbook.

According to the company, the shift to fully autonomous driving—once viewed as a major technological leap—has become routine as its safety systems and deployment strategy mature.

Diving in deeper: The company reports its vehicles have already shown strong safety performance, with 11 times fewer serious-injury collisions compared with human drivers in its current operating areas.

On the heels of what proponents have called “historic” property tax relief, some Texas lawmakers are questioning whether the state can afford to continue increasing the tax exemptions passed in 2023 and 2025.

The big picture: Texas homeowners pay property taxes to various local entities, although lawmakers can limit how much entities increase taxes each year and provide state funding to expand tax exemptions.

Texas is spending $51 billion on property tax relief in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 alone and may be required to spend more to maintain existing tax exemptions in future bienniums, lawmakers said.

What they're saying: "We're kind of maxed out at what we can do for property tax reform, from a budget perspective," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a Nov. 20 event.

"$51 billion ongoing, it's a huge amount to continue to support. To think about doing anything more seems very fiscally irresponsible," Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said.

The other side: Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, said creating limits on local government spending would be critical to keeping Texas affordable.