Fort Bend County residents will see a decrease in property taxes in fiscal year 2026-27.

What readers need to know: At a Sept. 10 meeting, Fort Bend County commissioners approved an $841.41 million budget for FY 2026-27 in a 3-2 vote with commissioners Grady Prestage and Dexter McCoy dissenting due to ongoing concerns with recent adjustments in the judiciary’s budget.

The details: The highest-funded government function is general administration with about $200.39 million in the proposed budget, followed by debt service and then public safety.

What else: Commissioners also approved a $0.407 tax rate per $100 property valuation in a 4-0 vote with McCoy abstaining from the vote due to leadership concerns. The new rate is a 1.21% decrease from last year’s tax rate of $0.412.

“Across our region, we are seeing higher property taxes proposed or adopted,” Interim County Judge Daniel Wong said. "Fort Bend County does not have to follow that trend. Affordability isn't just a national issue, it is a Fort Bend County issue.”

The city of Katy has voted to amend its flood damage prevention ordinance to potentially lower residents’ flood insurance rates.

What’s happening: At a Sept. 14 meeting, Katy City Council approved an ordinance change to broaden flood prevention requirements for specific structures. 

During the meeting, City Planner Rachel Lazo said the city is already part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, but the intention is to join the program’s community rating system as well. 

“Municipalities or agencies can choose to adopt higher standards to reduce flood risk and in exchange potentially get a reduction on flood insurance rates for citizens in that community,” Lazo said.

Next steps: Lazo said the city has already applied to be a part of the CRS, but the incident safety officer will review the application materials in the coming days before they are formally processed. 

Katy officials are expected to find out if the city will join the CRS by spring 2027.

The UPS Store has opened its doors in Jordan Ranch, business officials confirmed.

What to expect: The nationwide business gives customers access to a number of services including packing, shipping, printing, faxing, shredding, mailboxes and notary services, Community Impact previously reported.

One more thing: The UPS Store is part of the Shops at Jordan Crossing, which includes other businesses such as Shipley Do-Nuts, Fresh Monkee and Big Blue Swim School. 

• 29907 Jordan Crossing Blvd., Ste. 800, Katy

The Harris County Commissioners Court is slated to discuss and adopt tax rates and budgets for the 2026-27 fiscal year during its Sept. 17 meeting.

The overview: As the county faces a projected about $180 million shortfall, commissioners are expected to set the tax rates and budgets for Harris County, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Harris Health system and the Port of Houston Authority, according to agenda documents. Commissioners are also set to discuss the budget for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

The court will consider a 7.6% overall property tax rate increase, which commissioners discussed at their Sept. 8 meeting.

Also on the agenda: The court will consider approving a burn ban at the request of the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, according to agenda documents. The ban would take effect Sept. 17 and last at least 90 days or until the Texas Forest Service determines that drought conditions no longer exist in the county.

The National Integrated Drought Information System has marked Harris county as “abnormally dry,” a designation used to indicate areas entering or emerging from drought. As of Sept. 14, the 210 counties in Texas have instituted burn bans, according to the forest service.

Texas does not have a single system to connect first responders in emergencies, meaning local and state agencies often operate on a network of radio systems that are not always compatible with one another.

The big picture: State leaders said there are more than 50 different radio systems used by first responder agencies across Texas.

"We have situations where counties and cities are on separate ones, and they never know it until they have to [communicate with] each other," state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said during a Sept. 14 legislative hearing.

Looking ahead: King has vowed to pass a bill to integrate first responder communications under a statewide system during the 2027 legislative session, with some emergency management experts calling interagency communications "the No. 1 issue" in the aftermath of disasters.

"[This] is not simply a communication issue—it's a responder safety issue and an operational effectiveness issue," said Kyle Mills, head of planning and preparedness for the Texas A&M Forest Service.