Harris County commissioners approve one of the largest tax rates in recent history
Harris County commissioners approved one of the largest tax rate increases in recent history that could add at least $100 to your property tax bill.
The Bellaire
Government
Sugar Land adopts 3.6% property tax increase, adding about $59 a year for median homeowner
Sugar Land homeowners were originally facing a property tax increase of about $96 a year — more than 6% — before City Council approved a lower tax rate this week....
Harris County commissioners approve historic $3.1 billion budget, finalize tax hike
In total, the 2027 county tax rate has been set at $0.67 per $100 of valuation — a 7.6 percent increase from last year's tax rate of $0.62, according to agenda documents. It's one of the highest combined tax rates passed by Harris County in 20 years....
Harris County funds 24/7 ankle monitor staffing after murder defendant fled to Italy
Harris County is putting $1.4 million toward around-the-clock ankle monitor oversight, a direct response to the high-profile case of a capital murder defendant who cut off his device and fled to Italy months before his scheduled trial. Commissioners approved the funding as part o...
Harris County raises property taxes: How much more you will pay
Harris County homeowners will be paying more property taxes after Commissioners Court approved higher tax rates Thursday, adding another expense to household budgets already dealing with the cost of housing, insurance, groceries and utilities. Commissioners approved the tax rates...
Hidalgo criticizes Harris County budget after historic property tax hike, calls spending ‘unsustainable’
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is criticizing the county’s newly approved budget, calling it “irresponsible” and “unsustainable” after Commissioners Court approved the largest property tax hike in county history. Hidalgo spoke to reporters Thursday after commissioners approved ...
Texans have less than 3 weeks to register to vote for November 2026 midterm election
Texas law requires eligible citizens to register 30 days before Election Day, meaning that Oct. 5 is the last day to register for the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election....
Houston veterans’ organization rolls out voter outreach initiative
Combined Arms’ Civic After Service initiative particularly hopes to reach immigrant veterans who are preparing to vote for the first time. The initiative is launching Sept. 17 to coincide with Constitution Day and Citizenship Day....
City error allowed teardown of historic Houston home in Independence Heights
Before her grandmother died, Dr. Sabrina Norman, 70, promised her she would move back to their family home in Independence Heights to protect their legacy. The neighborhood –the first Black municipality to be incorporated in Texas - has changed rapidly in the last 20 years, with ...
“Uncharted territory”: Two months from Election Day, Democrats in Texas are truly competitive
Democrat James Talarico is consistently leading in the polls over Ken Paxton, which is unheard of in recent decades. National forecasters are calling Texas a tie, or else giving the advantage to the Democrat....
Harris County approves largest property tax hike in county history. Here’s what homeowners could pay
Harris County Commissioners approved a historic property tax increase Thursday that will raise the combined tax rate to about 67 cents for every $100 of taxable value. That means if you own a home assessed at $400,000 your taxes will increase by almost $200 a year. The public com...
2026 Toy Hall of Fame finalists released | Cast your vote
The Hall announced its 12 finalists for the Class of 2026 on Wednesday. Voting is open to the public and a panel of judges until Sept. 23.
Conroe considers bid to host proposed US Space Academy
Conroe city leaders are exploring an exploratory effort to position the municipality as a potential host for the newly proposed U.S. Space Academy. Local officials point to 214 shovel-ready acres at Deison Technology Park, available housing, regional airport access, and a strong ...
City of Houston approves $20.4M contract to help speed permitting, code enforcement
Houston City Council unanimously approved an agreement Tuesday allowing SAFEbuilt Texas LLC to provide on-demand services for Houston Public Works.
Texas and feds announce noncitizen voting charges against seven people
State officials also referred 117 people for investigation related to noncitizen voting, but confirmed nearly 600 other flagged voters are U.S. citizens....
House to adjourn early, stave off Hegseth impeachment vote
House Republicans had planned to remain in session until Thursday, but will now take their last votes Wednesday evening on a major White House priority....
Lamar CISD votes to move Tesla’s JETI application forward
Lamar CISD has approved its portion of an agreement for a state economic incentive as Tesla finalizes its site selection for a new manufacturing facility....
Houston Public Media Foundation Announces New Board Leadership and Members
The Houston Public Media Foundation today announced the appointment of new directors and officers to its board. Michael Stewart has been named president of the board of directors, succeeding John Bradshaw, who will continue to serve the board in an ex-officio role as immediate pa...
After backlash, power grid officials back away from agreement to give ERCOT CEO millions in additional bonuses
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick balked at the contract two boards approved for Pablo Vegas. The ERCOT chief said officials then decided not to execute the deal.
Tax break for proposed $10B Tesla solar cell factory in Fort Bend advances after Lamar CISD school board vote
In exchange for the projected tax revenue that’ll come from the proposed Tesla facility anchored in the southeastern portion of the county, the company's tax bill would be cut in half from 2029 through 2038, according to the application....
Senate takes first step to overhaul college sports system
Senate takes first step to advance legislation to drastically overhaul college sports system as we know it, passing a procedural vote for a full Senate vote, 74-24....
House votes for a third time to end the Iran war as conflict drags on
The House approved a war powers resolution late Tuesday that would halt President Trump’s ability to continue military action without congressional approval....
CenterPoint Energy confirms data breach of customer personal information
CenterPoint Energy has confirmed a third-party has obtained customer personal information in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday....
Houston officials consider applying for grant tied to immigration enforcement
After Houston Public Media asked about the grant, Mayor John Whitmire’s office said it was “requesting clarification” on the guidelines.
GOP candidate’s racist comments (Sept. 15, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: A member of the Houston Chronicle editorial board explains why it's not enough to simply condemn the racist comments of a GOP political candidate. And we consider how our understanding of postpartum depression and psychosis have changed over the years....
Do you trust your vote? Inside Harris County’s election testing process
With Election Day approaching, Harris County election officials are testing thousands of pieces of voting equipment as part of an effort to demonstrate how ballots are handled and build public trust in the process. But when KPRC 2 asked people at Discovery Green whether they trus...
Harris County property taxes rising again: What it could mean for homeowners
Harris County homeowners are facing another increase in their county property-tax burden as commissioners move forward with a budget that would increase spending by hundreds of millions of dollars. The proposed budget would increase county spending by about 12 percent, or roughly...
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for data center penalties if not complying with state water laws
Gov. Greg Abbott issued another directive on data centers, calling on the Texas Water Development Board to penalize data centers that don't comply with state water laws....
Texas data centers could face penalties over water reporting
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the state's water development board to start penalizing major water users if they haven't complied with water use reporting requirements....
DHS agents allegedly directed to 'misrepresent' themselves to access state voter rolls, whistleblower claims
A whistleblower claims DHS has directed agents to "misrepresent" themselves and "violate state laws" in a voter probe, Democratic lawmakers say.
CenterPoint Energy reports customer data breach
CenterPoint Energy is investigating a cybersecurity incident involving the personal information of some of its customers, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said it became aware of an online post in September claiming that a third ...
Don’t be surprised at polls! Check to see if your name is on voter suspension list
If you’re planning to vote in November, today is your last chance to register. You don’t want to show up at the polls and find out your name is on the suspended list! In 2024, Governor Greg Abbott announced that over 460,000 Texans were placed on the suspended voter list. If your...
Houston's $5 solid waste administration fee: What to know
Houston’s new $5 monthly solid waste administration fee hit most residents’ water bills in September. Here’s what it costs, what it raises, and what a city-commissioned study says about service gaps. RELATED: Houston’s new $5 trash fee is hitting water bills. But it won’t cover t...
Kennedy Center board votes to immediately close center's main building, sources say, after judge blocks adding Trump tribute to Kennedy Center facade
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees has voted to immediately close the performing arts center’s main building, according to sources.
SCOTUS rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions for now ahead of midterms
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected President Donald Trump's mail ballot restrictions for now, capping a flurry of last-minute legal action with voting in the midterm elections already underway....
Faced with condemnation over alleged racism, GOP Texas railroad commissioner candidate Bo French doubles down
French posted a photo on social media Sunday describing students of color at a UT football game as "foreigners displacing Americans."
Texas Supreme Court strikes Harris County commissioner candidate’s effort to remove incumbent from office
A Sept. 9 ruling by the Texas Supreme Court denied Richard Vega's lawsuit against Harris County Commissioners Court, which argued Commissioner Adrian Garcia effectively vacated his seat in 2021 when he was appointed to the Gulf Coast Protection District....
Gov. Abbott directs Texas water board to penalize data centers over water reporting failures
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is directing the Texas Water Development Board to take action against major water users, including data centers, that have failed to comply with state water-use reporting requirements. Abbott said Monday that some data centers could have committed civil and...
Galveston County commissioners approve plans to take over the health district
Some Galveston County Health District employees are anxiously awaiting what happens next after county commissioners approved an agreement that documents show will cut jobs....
Kennedy Center board to propose options for honoring Trump as it confronts solvency worries
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees is planning to propose adding President Donald Trump's name to the facility's exterior in recognition of his saving the building from its "precarious fiscal position."...
Galveston County votes to take administrative control of health district
Galveston County commissioners voted unanimously Monday to approve an agreement that would give the county administrative control of the Galveston County Health District. The County Judge and commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the shared-services agreement during Monday morning’s...
Fort Bend ISD leaders to vote on new tax rate for property owners within district, agenda reveals
According to the agenda, the Fort Bend ISD board will discuss adopting a tax rate of 99 cents per $100 of property valuation.
Houston City Council vote Wednesday could keep meals, medical rides running for thousands of seniors
Houston City Council is set to vote Wednesday on a $6.7 million contract renewal that would keep meal delivery and transportation services running for thousands of seniors across the greater Houston area through September 2027. If the ordinance passes, nine local organizations wi...
Talarico leads Paxton in new Texas Senate poll, but race shifts among older voters
The race for U.S. Senate in Texas is getting national attention as Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico continue to campaign across the state. A new AARP poll shows Talarico in a slight lead over Paxton, but Paxton has an advantage over older voters....
Statewide GOP nominee Bo French sparks outrage after targeting UT football fans online
The Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission is facing fierce backlash from within his own party after posting inflammatory remarks on social media about students celebrating a University of Texas football victory....
Houston’s anthem (Sept. 14, 2026)
On Monday's show: The Texas Supreme Court has blocked Galveston County from using a new precinct map in the November election. And we consider what words and themes should be included in a Houston anthem....
Bo French faces backlash over posts criticizing UT student demographics
Texas Railroad Commission Republican nominee Bo French is facing backlash from fellow Republicans after posting social media comments that mischaracterized a photo of celebrating University of Texas football fans as evidence of Americans being displaced by foreigners....
Galveston County cannot use new precinct map in November, Texas Supreme Court rules
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Galveston County cannot use its newly drawn precinct map in November’s election.
Conroe residents tell city council they want Flock cameras gone
The question facing Conroe City Council is do they continue to fund Flock cameras in the 2026-2027 budget or do they let the contract expire at the end of the month?...
How to register to vote in Texas: Deadlines, IDs, requirements
A completed and signed Texas voter registration form is all it takes to make your vote count — but there’s a catch. The form must be submitted at least 30 days before Election Day. To register, voters must be 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a Texas resident. How to register Vote...
Texas Supreme Court rules against Galveston County new redistricting maps
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court ruled to block Galveston County's new redistricting maps for the November election.
Texas extends SNAP replacement deadline for food lost during Tropical Storm Edouard
Texas SNAP recipients affected by Tropical Storm Edouard have additional time to request replacement benefits for food that was lost or destroyed because of the storm. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission said the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved extending the re...
Nashville Airport Authority approves renaming airport in honor of Dolly Parton
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted unanimously, 6-0, to begin the process of renaming the Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton....
Trump defends proposed $5,000 dividend as 'reward,' says 'growth' will pay for it
President Donald Trump defended his proposal to give Americans a $5,000 "dividend" as a "reward" for voters who he says endured the Biden administration....
Texas Supreme Court blocks Galveston County from using new precinct map in November election
The 2026 precinct maps were redrawn and approved on June 29 — between the March primary election and the November general election. The Texas Supreme Court now barres the county from using those new boundaries in November....
Conroe City Council approves budget that includes funding for Flock cameras
The vote came amid rising concerns about mass surveillance and how the cameras are being used.
Jimmy Kimmel to air Talarico interview on YouTube instead of ABC
Late-night television talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has made the decision to pull an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico from network TV and air it on YouTube due to pressure from the Federal Communications Commission....
Key takeaways from the 2nd night of the GOP midterm convention
Vice President JD Vance headlined the second night of the Republican midterm convention, rallying GOP voters while lacing into Democrats.
Trump tells Republicans they ‘go to hell’ if they don’t vote in November
President Donald Trump closed out the Republican’s inaugural midterm convention being held in Dallas with a fervent plea to the crowd to vote as if he’s on the ballot in November....
Fort Bend County approves budget, lower tax rate amid heated meeting as Democrats return to court
Tensions rose between Democrats and Republicans throughout the budget and tax-rate votes, including between interim county judge Daniel Wong and Commissioner Dexter McCoy, who are both vying for the judge position in the upcoming November election. They ultimately approved a 1.2%...