Early voting is open now through Halloween. | Photo by ATXtoday
Get ready to head to the polls, Austinites. Early voting is underway now through Friday, Oct. 31 — with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4 — for the November 2025 Special Election.
The main issue on the ballot is Proposition Q: A proposed tax rate increase of roughly 20% to ~57.4 cents per $100 of taxable value, which was reflected in the City’s $6.3 billion budget. For context, last year’s tax rate was ~47.8 cents per $100 valuation.
If approved, the increased tax rate would generate $109.5 million against an existing $33.4 million budget shortfall, and it would go down as the biggest tax increase in ATX in the last 20+ years.
The PGA Tour will return to Austin in 2026 for the first time since 2023. Texas-based title sponsor Good Good Golf will help bring the Good Good Championship, featuring 120 players, to the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa next November. (Austin Business Journal)
Gallery
Adele,Matthew McConaughey, and Jay Leno. Those are just a few of the celebrities who were spotted at Austin’s Formula 1 US Grand Prix. A very special pup appeared as well — check out the highlights. (KXAN)
Ranked
Austin is one of the “Greenest Cities in America” and the greenest city in Texas, according to a new study from WalletHub. The Capital City ranked No. 26 in the US (followed in Texas by Lubbock), thanks to high scores in lifestyle + policy and transportation.
Number
$1,837. That’s how much it would cost you to drive on Circuit of the Americas’ Formula 1 track with a professional instructor. The experience is currently on hiatus, but folks can partake in the COTA Driving Experience again starting in January, if you’re missing the action after F1 weekend.(KXAN)
Eat
A new pizza window opened inside Rainey Street sports bar Victory Lap. Side Piece Pies — a concept from the same group behind Tiger Lilly, Other Racquet Social Club, Fleet Coffee, and more — serves thin-crust pies with fun toppings including ricotta cream and sunflower seed pesto. (CultureMap)
Open
Eyeglasses and sunglasses company Oliver Peoples is now open at Domain NORTHSIDE, selling styles from designers including Roger Federer, Series, and Gregory Peck. (Community Impact)
Listen
The Longhorns struggled with their offensive line against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Texas Longhorns with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Number
217,734. That’s how many people have switched to Oricle hearing aids — enjoying conversations, TV, and the sounds of life for under $100. Learn more.*
Category
Real Estate
Stay Live at the YMCA
The Townlake YMCA will likely not break ground on the new project until 2028. | Rendering via The Greater Austin YMCA and MP-Austin
Downtown’s Townlake YMCA is poised to undergo a redevelopment project that will include a new facility and housing on the property.
Greater Austin YMCA plans to sell a portion of its 4.8-acre lot to the City, where the plan is to build a one structure for affordable housing units and three structures for market-rate condominiums. Early drafts include a minimum of 90 rental units and a maximum of 750 condos.
Greater Austin YMCA will also build a brand new, 100,000-sqft facility on its remaining land. The new YMCA will have a mental health + counseling space, a performing arts theater, a rooftop garden, art studios, coworking spaces, meeting spaces, and 50,000 sqft of youth programming space.
The current Townlake YMCA facility is around 75,000 sqft, was built in 1970, and serves ~400,000 visits per year. Officials hope to break ground in 2028.
The Buy
Looking for a little early holiday gift inspiration? While our official gift guide is on the way, here’s a sneak peek at what we’re loving right now.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Before he won the race, I got to see Max Verstappen at an event where he visited Tag Heuer to chat about the weekend ahead. Verstappen said he enjoys being in Austin and that Circuit of the Americas has one of his favorite tracks since it has so many high-speed corners.
As you can see from this photo I snapped, it was very crowded.
