Several North Texas cities are tightening their budgets as sales and property tax growth stall.

Why it matters: City budgets pay to maintain streets, employ police officers and firefighters and ensure neighborhoods have access to libraries, recreation centers and parks.

The big picture: Municipal budgets have been boosted in the past few years because of record-high tax revenues from the inflated cost of goods and spikes in property values.

• Long-established cities like Dallas are seeing flattening tax revenues while growing cities like McKinney are still seeing more money even as inflation and property values have leveled.

Friction point: This year's budget season is happening at a time when "conversations about taxation and government services have become more polarized," Arlington city manager Trey Yelverton writes in his city's budget proposal.

• Texas has its own version of the federal DOGE to improve government efficiency and reduce spending of state revenues.

State of play: Some cities are making cuts to offset flattening revenues. For example, Fort Worth's proposed budget relies on cuts of up to 3% to some city departments.

• In Dallas, the proposed budget eliminates or repurposes hundreds of positions to meet a voter-approved measure to hire more police officers.

Yes, but: Several North Texas cities are seeing rising sales tax revenues this year.

• Irving's sales tax revenues are up nearly 8% compared with 2024. Plano's are up almost 9%, according to the state comptroller.
• Plano's 2025-26 proposed budget is $30 million higher than this year's adopted budget.

Catch up quick: Arlington is facing a $20 million shortfall in next fiscal year's budget.

• The city plans to increase the property tax rate, cut operational hours of some departments and raise fees for city services, including the garbage collection rate.
• Denton faced an estimated $14 million deficit, so its proposed budget includes a slight increase to the property tax rate and cuts to city services, including the K9 and after-school programs.

What's next: North Texas cities will be hosting budget meetings over the next month to get community feedback.

• New budgets will go into effect Oct. 1.

Nearly 14% of the North Texas workforce are foreign-born workers without U.S. citizenship, per Census Bureau data.

Why it matters: President Trump earlier this summer said his massive immigration crackdown is "taking very good, long time workers away from" the farming and hotel industries, and promised changes.

• Yet there's still no major policy decision from the White House.

By the numbers: Foreign-born noncitizens — including those who are legal residents or have work visas — make up 8.3% of the country's civilian workforce age 16 and older, based on a 2019-2023 average of Census Bureau estimates.

• They make up a higher percentage of the local workforce, especially in construction and food service jobs.

Yes, but: Some in Trump's MAGA base view any form of capitulation on immigration as a form of amnesty — and a broken promise to conduct mass deportations.

• "No one who is illegally here is being given a pathway to citizenship or residency," a senior Trump administration official told Axios' Marc Caputo.

Zoom in: Dallas police officials have said they won't stop anyone solely to check their immigration status, but the city manager recently clarified police are following all immigration laws.

• "All residents have the right to report emergencies and crimes, regardless of their immigration status," Kimberly Bizor Tolbert wrote in a memo to the City Council.

Need an escape? Buy a book.

The big page turner: Independent bookstores across Dallas-Fort Worth are hosting the first ever North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl.

• Book lovers and newbies can pick up a passport and collect stamps from the 24 participating shops to enter a raffle for gift cards to bookshop.org.

Zoom in: The region has a robust literary scene, from the sprawling flagship Half Price Books to smaller, niche bookstores.

How it works: Passport holders earn a raffle entry for every stamp they get.

• Stamped passports must be returned by Aug. 31 to Talking Animal Books in Grapevine or via email at [email protected].

Where to go: The bookstores stretch from Dallas to Denton to Fort Worth to Roanoke — a trip worthy of a stamp.

• The shops include: Poets Bookshop, The Dock Bookshop, and Fire and Fable.

See full list by city

🚨 Anna police arrested a man suspected of stealing hundreds of electric circuit breakers from new housing developments. (NBC5)

👟 Olympian Sha'Carri Richardson apologized and said she plans to get help in her first public comments after being arrested on domestic violence charges in Seattle last month. (WFAA)

🛝 McKinney's deck park plans are in jeopardy after Congress' "big beautiful bill" slashed $15 million in federal funding designated for the project. (DMN)

North Texas has another chance to get more starred restaurants.

The latest: Michelin is set to update its Texas guide on Oct. 28, revealing which restaurants earned stars and other honors across the state.

Why it matters: It's a moment of recognition and prestige for both the restaurants and the cities where they are located.

Zoom in: The Dallas area has just one star — Tatsu Dallas — from the revered food guide.

• Last year, Michelin awarded stars to 15 restaurants statewide in its first visit to Texas.

How it works: A group of anonymous inspectors judge restaurants on the quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, chef's vision, consistency and value.

• The guide includes Michelin recommendations, Bib Gourmand awards and honorable mentions.