Plus: More property tax debates and where to get the best drink in town.
Good morning, Houston! 🌤️ Expect it to stay partly cloudy today with highs in the upper 80s. Now here's Thursday's news. |
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Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle |
If you read one thing: Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday he will ask voters in 2023 to amend the city's cap on property tax revenue to allow for more public safety spending. What is the city's property tax revenue cap? The city's cap on property taxes limits how much revenue the city can bring in through property taxes each year to a formula that combines inflation and population increases, or 4.5 percent, whichever is lower. The city has cut its tax rate eight times in the past nine years to get under that limit. What is Turner proposing? Turner said he would bring language to City Council shortly to put the measure on the November 2023 ballot. For years, city leaders and budget officials have said the cap strains the city's finances, hamstringing its biggest source of revenue as costs continue to rise, and some have expressed concern about how the city will afford increasing police and fire budgets. What are others saying? Charles Blain, an organizer with the conservative group Urban Reform, argued the cap is working as designed. Blain: "At some point, the city needs to exercise fiscal discipline, rather than asking for more." In 2006, voters tweaked the cap to allow the city to raise an additional $90 million in revenue for public safety spending.
Last thoughts: "If there's strong sentiment on this council to at least allow the voters to decide, well, let's put it this way: I'm willing to put it before you and then allow the voters to make that decision," Turner said.
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From ice houses and wine bars to gritty dives and cocktail emporiums, the Chronicle's food team has put together their list of the top 25 bars in Houston. I haven't been to all of the places on this list, but can certainly vouch for the places I have been and am excited to try the places I haven't been before, particularly Monkey's Tail and Poison Girl. See their whole list here. |
Alexandra Kanik / Houston Chronicle |
If you read one thing: In recent years, genetic testing and other investigative resources have helped solve once unsolvable cases, but despite that new technology hundreds of Texas bodies remain unidentified. Why do cases go unsolved? A number of reasons contribute to it, but much of it comes down to a lack of funding for and interest in solving cold cases and poor communication between different law enforcement agencies. Often cases will go unsolved unless civilian investigators pick up the slack, identifying possible matches and teaming up with true crime podcasts to reopen old cases or perform DNA testing and analysis. Is there a database that tracks missing people or unidentified dead? Yes, sort of. In 2007, the Department of Justice created NaMus to track missing persons, nameless dead and unclaimed bodies. But the database is voluntary and many law enforcement agencies don't make use of it. Does Texas use NaMus? Last year, Texas passed a law requiring law enforcement and medical examiners to enter their nameless dead into NaMus, but it didn't require departments to add old cases. A Houston Chronicle investigation found that many counties are still not complying a year later. |
Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle |
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Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle |
🚶♀️ Take a walk: City Walks Houston is a walking group that offers members an up close view of the city with 6-7 mile hikes exploring the parks, neighborhoods and bayous in our city. Their next walk will explore the Art Deco features of Rice University and the Texas Medical Center. When: 2 p.m. Sunday, October 9 Where: McGovern Centennial Gardens Entrance, 1500 Hermann Dr. 🚴 Spin your wheels: Critical Mass Houston decided that cars rule the road every day in Houston, but one day a month bicyclists should take ownership of their streets while having fun on a casual bike ride. When: 6:30 p.m. the last Friday of every month (October 28, this month) Where: Guadalupe Plaza Park, 2311 Runnels St. 🌱 Join other nature lovers: Nature & Eclectic Outdoors (or NEO) Houston is all about helping people lead more outdoor-oriented lives. Check out their events here or join their urban community event this Saturday to get a little "dirt therapy." When: 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturday, October 8 Where: 3718 Charleston St. 🥏 Or just looking for a park? 713 reader Bobby B. recommends Nottingham Park, where you can find all the usual park amenities plus a 9-hole disc golf course. Where: 14205 Kimberley Lane Do you know of anything happening in Houston next weekend? Send us your events for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter. |
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I'll be off tomorrow and heading to Austin for the weekend to see some friends and family, but you and this newsletter will be in good hands. Cat DeLaura cat.delaura@chron.com |
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