A $5 million package of third-party consulting contracts was pulled from City Council consideration after the item drew scrutiny from some elected officials over its cost and lack of clarity.

What happened: It's the second time action on contracting with the same group of 17 consultants was withdrawn ahead of an authorization vote this year. Council member Mike Siegel, who'd asked for more oversight of both items, said the update was a positive for transparency and that he'll continue to monitor Austin's extensive consultant spending.

The background: The scrutiny follows the release of an internal audit that found city departments don't regularly justify the need for third-party support they seek, and often don't monitor or evaluate the work of their consultants. That reporting led council members to vote for a wide-ranging review of Austin's contracts and grants this spring, work that remains in progress.

A new gym focused on functional, efficient fitness recently opened in Northwest Austin, located on the corner of MoPac and Parmer Lane.

In a nutshell: Luis Herrera and his wife Mallory opened Industrious, offering 50-minute group fitness workouts led by coaches. The space features 13x13 personal training zones known as the HALO, each set up with equipment like a bench, barbells, rowing machine, treadmill and more.

“Everything you need or that you want for your workout, it’s already here for you,” Luis Herrera said. “Imagine the garage gym concept times 12, run by one person that’s keeping everybody on tempo.”

Across Texas, the taxes that homeowners pay to their local school districts went down by about 13.6% in 2025, one state senator found.

The overview: Across the board, many Texas counties mailed out reduced property tax bills for the 2025 tax year, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, reported. During a Sept. 1 hearing of the Senate Local Government Committee, he said the average homeowner's property tax bill went down by about $140 last year, falling from $1,037 per year in 2024 to $896 per year in 2025.

Texas' 2026-27 budget includes $51 billion in property tax relief, previous Community Impact reporting shows. Unless the legislature rolls back existing tax exemptions, the state will be required to spend that much or more on tax relief in future bienniums.

How it works: The state does not charge property taxes, meaning homeowners are taxed by local entities such as school districts, cities, counties and municipal utility districts. The Texas Legislature, however, can place limits on how much local governments raise taxes annually and require tax exemptions for certain groups.