West Lake Hills City Council approved its fiscal year 2026-2027 budget and tax rate at a meeting on Sept. 9.

The overview: The city approved a no new revenue tax rate of $0.174896 per $100 of assessed valuation, a slight decrease from the previous year’s rate at $0.176783 per $100.

The yearly tax on the average residence with the approved rate will be $3,918.36, an over $40 decrease from the previous year.

The average appraised residence in West Lake Hills is nearly $2.49 million, according to city documents.

The city is anticipating property taxes to contribute over $6.15 million to the budget.

The details: West Lake Hills City Council also approved the municipal budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, funding city projects, operations and other expenditures.

The city’s FY 2025-26 budget shows revenues for the city at $8.95 million, with expenditures totaling $9.15 million, leaving a budget shortfall of roughly $196,000 without the use of the projected unrestricted general fund balance.

Travis Club, a 1,500-acre development near Spicewood along the southwest shore of Lake Travis, opened its private golf course for member-only play over Labor Day weekend.

The overview: The par-71 golf course was designed by Beau Welling, who also designed Frisco's Fields Ranch West and Pelican Golf Club in Florida, and features elevation changes, hilltop panoramic views and several holes against the Lake Travis shoreline.

Travis Club’s golf course also offers a practice facility with natural-grass teeing areas, dedicated putting greens, professional golf instruction and two on-course comfort stations.

What else: Beyond the golf course and amenities, the Travis Club development will feature nearly 700 custom homesites, ranging from just under half an acre to over 3 acres per site, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.

The development has sold over 190 homesites, with construction underway on almost 20 homes and more than 40 in design review.

The first completed residences will debut this fall, per a press release from Travis Club.

The Austin Infrastructure Academy will receive an additional $2.55 million in city funds over four years to support its workforce training and jobs program. This funding, approved by the Austin City Council in September, follows an initial $5 million investment in the initiative led by Workforce Solutions Capital Area.

The details: The academy is connecting Austin-area residents with construction careers during major local infrastructure upgrades, including the I-35 expansion, Project Connect, the Austin Convention Center redevelopment, and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expansion.

By the numbers: According to a one-year report released in spring 2025, the initiative:

• Connected more than 1,500 residents to career opportunities

• Enrolled nearly 1,100 participants

• Awarded 162 training scholarships

• Raised participants' annual earnings