Sugar Land amends tax rate increase following resident pushback
Sugar Land City Council approved its fiscal year 2025-26 budget with a focus on public safety and redevelopment.
The big picture: At a Sept. 16 meeting, City Council unanimously approved a $519.84 million FY 2025-26 budget, a $65.97 million increase from FY 2024-25.
Additionally, council approved $0.358827 per $100 valuation tax rate, a 1.6% increase from last year’s $0.35321. The approval came after city staff proposed a 1-cent tax rate increase for FY 2025-26, putting the rate at $0.36321 per $100 valuation.
However, with the $1 million decrease in tax revenue from adjusting the proposed rate, city officials will have to reduce spending via budget efficiencies, with council voting on amendments in October, City Manager Michael Goodrum said.
What they’re saying: Sugar Land Mayor Carol McCutcheon said while the city’s property revaluation was less than previous years, meaning the city had to “tighten their belts” in certain areas, there are certain projects that are “not optional."
Looking ahead: The FY 2025-26 budget will begin Oct. 1 and run through Sept. 30, 2026.
Fort Bend County votes to make redistricting committee exempt from open meeting requirements
Fort Bend County commissioners were split once again as the court passed actions Sept. 16 to unbind the Citizens Redistricting Advisory Committee from the open records act and remove the county attorney from any involvement in the redistricting process.
Zooming in: Commissioners voted 3-2 to unbind the newly formed CRAC from the Texas Open Records Act, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers calling their powers “strictly advisory.”
What else: A motion to give law firm Rogers, Morris & Grover the power to provide legal advice on the redistricting process with no involvement from the county attorney passed 3-1, with McCoy dissenting and Prestage absent for the vote.
What’s next? According to the county calendar, the CRAC will host four public hearings—one in each precinct—to take public input on redistricting.
Space City Weather celebrates 10 years of serving Houston
Space City Weather, a daily weather news and forecaster, is approaching its 10-year anniversary of providing weather updates to five million annual visitors in the Greater Houston area, according to its website.
Zooming in: Space City Editor and certified meteorologist Eric Berger said he started the site as a hobby in 2015. However, when Hurricane Harvey hit the city, it became much more than that.
Alongside Managing Editor Matt Lanza, Berger has transformed Space City Weather into much more, partnering with Reliant Energy as their sole sponsor in 2017, he said.
What’s next: To commemorate its anniversary, Space City Weather will host a Fall Day celebration at Midtown Park, located at 2811 Travis St., Houston, from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 25, featuring giveaways, 10th anniversary merchandise, costume contests and more, Berger said.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the Houston area.
From crispy wings and fiery Nashville hot chicken to authentic Middle Eastern shawarma and freshly made tacos, Kilani Food Hall is a new food hub that offers a curated selection of dishes from a variety of world cuisines.
Per the website, the seven halal concepts include: Lit Wingz, which offers crispy fried wings with signature sauces; Burnin' Chick, which serves Nashville style hot chicken;Cheeky Buns, which features smash burgers and gourmet hot dogs; The Shawerma Man, which specializes in Middle Eastern shawarma; Gyro Bros, which offers traditional Greek gyros; A&M Fry Shack, which serves fried fish and seafood favorites; Taco Nova, which serves Mexican tacos.
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The owner of Sambrooks Hospitality, Michael Sambrooks, announced in a Sept. 16 news release that he has taken over the lease at Mandito's Tex-Mex in Bellaire, which closed over the weekend, and intends to rebrand it as Candente.
Candente is an industrial-style Tex-Mex restaurant that opened in Montrose in 2019. It is known for fajitas, carne asada, chicken and seafood cooked over a wood-fired grill. The spot also provides classic cocktails, such as margaritas, tequila flights and ranch waters.
Sambrooks said that the Bellaire location will serve the same menu of handcrafted Tex-Mex staples and classic cocktails as the Montrose location.
