Celina City Council voted Sept. 9 to lower the city’s property tax rate, continuing a four-year trend, while adopting a $382 million budget to support the community’s rapid growth.
What you need to know: The new property tax rate of $0.576401 per $100 valuation is just over 3% lower than the current rate of $0.598168 per $100 valuation. Despite the lower tax rate, the average Celina homestead owner will see an increase of about $124 from last year on their city property tax bill due to increasing property values, according to city documents.
Some context: Celina officials have continuously lowered the city’s property tax rate since fiscal year 2020-21 as the city continues to experience rapid growth. 47% of Celina’s general fund expenditures is designated for public safety, which the city primarily plans to use to address staffing demands, according to city documents.
Looking ahead: The new tax rate and the proposed budget will take effect Oct. 1.
Cook Children’s Medical Center in Prosper opened its first neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), expanding its specialized services for newborns needing medical care.
The details: The NICU will be the first located within a children’s hospital in Prosper and neighboring cities, according to a news release. Cook Children’s officials unveiled the NICU facility Sept. 10, which is now open for specialized pediatric care.
Quote of note: Kevin Greene, president of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Prosper, said in the release the new NICU will allow families to seek medical care for their children without having to leave their community.
Check out 6 restaurants newly opened in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
Looking to explore food opportunities beyond your community? Check out the following restaurant news from across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, as previously reported by Community Impact.
1. Flower Mound: Supreme Boil The restaurant offers Cajun food and seafood boils, which includes a choice of mussels, clams, crawfish or shrimp, according to its website.
Opened Aug. 1
2321 Cross Timbers Road, Ste. 413, Flower Mound
2. Frisco: Musume Musume at The Star’s menu includes sushi and sashimi made with fresh fish flown in daily from Japan, as well as authentic Asian cuisine offered in both small and large plates, vegetarian and vegan dishes, salads, tempura and ramen. It also features a six-or-eight course Omakase curated daily by chef Yuzo Toyama, a company news release states.
Gov. Abbott issues executive order prohibiting THC sales to Texans under 21
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Sept. 10 executive order aimed at prohibiting hemp-derived THC products from being sold to minors, which he called “safety for kids, freedom for adults.” The order comes one week after a special legislative session ended without Abbott and state lawmakers agreeing on legislation to ban or restrict THC sales.
The details: Abbott’s order directs the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to “immediately begin the rulemaking process” on new THC regulations, including:
Limiting THC sales to people 21 years and older
Requiring THC retailers to check all customers’ IDs
Expanding testing and labeling requirements for THC products
Raising manufacturer and retailer licensing fees to cover costs of enforcing the new rules
Enhancing monitoring by state and local law enforcement
What they're saying:“Governor Abbott has shown that Texas can protect children without turning back to prohibition,” Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said in a statement. “While we have some concerns, this is a win for safety, freedom and free markets.”
