The Nov. 4 ballot includes several measures granting exemptions to businesses, widows of veterans, older and disabled taxpayers and homeowners in general.
Sam Shaw
Sam Shaw covers government and growth for the Bridge. Previously, he spend the past two years at the Longview News-Journal, where he covered county government, school board and environmental justice issues. His work on the emerging lithium extraction industry in Northeast Texas has won statewide attention. Before Longview, he wrote for several publications in his native Colorado and reported news features for the High Country News. Sam earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master’s in journalism from Goldsmiths University in London.
Posted inGrowth
Brazos River pecan farm could play outsized role in Waco’s water future
The city of Waco is seeking state approval to pump water out of the Brazos, miles downstream of a riverside property it bought for water rights.
Posted inGrowth
Cameron Park Zoo’s assignment to TSTC class: A robot scoop for elephant poop
With Waco city backing, TSTC students will spend three semesters scaling up prototypes for FRANK, short for Fecal Removal and Nastiness Killer.
Posted inCommunity
Interactive: New map makes Waco’s congressional district more competitive
McLennan County Democratic and Republican leaders, as well as District 17 Congressman Pete Sessions, R-Waco, agreed that the new district configuration will make it more competitive.
“Without question there has been a change and this change is rather dramatic,” Sessions said Friday.
Posted inCommunity
KWBU public radio in danger of going silent after 25 years serving Waco
KWBU has launched a last-ditch fundraising campaign to save the station, aiming to raise $500,000 and 1,500 new members by Dec. 31 to replace lost Baylor and federal funding. Station membership is now around 1,000.
Posted inGrowth
Waco City Manager Bradley Ford announces he will resign
The council was unanimous in praise of Ford, who plans to leave in February 2026 for family reasons. Ford said his all-in approach to the job “ran in conflict to being a great husband and a great dad.”
Posted inGrowth
Fun for every body: $25M Alice Martinez Rodriguez Park goes big on accessibility
The city’s biggest park investment ever will be accessible to people of all ages and ability levels. “This will be a new standard for how we develop and build parks from an accessibility standpoint,” said Parks Director Jonathan Cook.
Posted inGrowth
Waco faces tough tradeoffs as city tax revenues stall
The city council votes Sept. 2 on a $650 million budget that boosts pay and street repair but cuts park and library spending
Posted inGrowth
A study says privatizing Cameron Park Zoo could save millions. City officials are taking it slow
A city consultant says new exhibits, 30 more employees needed to keep the zoo on target for growth
Posted inGrowth
County angles for grant to develop Tradinghouse Lake park
A $1.1 million project could add RV spots, ADA playground, walking trails to county’s sole park
