Richardson City Council passed a $432 million city budget with no property tax rate increase for fiscal year 2026-27 at the Sept. 21 meeting.

The overview: The budget includes compensation increases for city employees, a new water and wastewater rate plan and added investments in public safety, infrastructure and economic development. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2027.

What you need to know: Council voted to maintain the current tax rate of $0.54218 per $100 of assessed valuation. This tax rate has been in place since fiscal year 2024-25.

The average homestead taxable value increased by 3.16%, so even though the tax rate is remaining the same, residents will see an average increase of $70 on their property tax bill.

Quote of note: “Richardson’s strong financial position is a result of our disciplined decisions that we've made for many, many years,” Magner said. “Protecting that position must remain our top priority as we develop not just this budget, but budgets in years to come.”

Kami Sushi Seafood Buffet is now open in Richardson.

The details: The restaurant offers hibachi, hot pot, sushi, lobster and a variety of other foods and desserts available buffet-style.

• 112 W. Campbell Road, Richardson

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must stop issuing new permits for data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sept. 21.

The overview: His order expands an existing pause on data center development in the state amid consistent public criticism of the booming industry. Abbott, who is running for a fourth term as governor, has recently moved to slow the growth of data centers after calling Texas “the epicenter of AI development" last year.

The context: Hundreds of proposed data centers are currently being audited by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid.

Some developers may be able to get around the ERCOT pause by building in-house power infrastructure that is not connected to the grid, experts have said.

However, any construction project impacting at least 1 acre of land requires permits from TCEQ.

What they're saying: "As Texas faces increasing pressure on our water supplies and electric grid, we need to ensure that data centers operate efficiently and sustainably," said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.