State secures more than 3,000 acres for new park in Central Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said on Monday it finalized the second phase of purchases that included 1,100 acres in Lampasas and Burnet counties, according to a news release.
In January, Texas initially purchased a 2,020-acre property from Burnet County for the park. With this purchase, the new state park will now be more than 3,000 acres in total.
The state park will be located across from the river from Colorado Bend State Park and will include 1.5 miles of Yancey Creek, limestone bluffs and several natural springs, according to TPWD.
The state agency said the new state park will be created using the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which was approved by voters in 2023. The $1 billion fund is dedication to the creation and development of state parks.
'It's great to see phase two of the acquisition process come to fruition with the purchase of this 1,100-acre property,' said Jeff Hildebrand, Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. 'This property, combined with the previously purchased 2,020-acre tract near the current Colorado Bend State Park, will offer an exciting new state park experience for Texans.'
With the purchases now complete, TPWD said it will now work on a plan in collaboration with public feedback to determine recreational opportunities at the new state park.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Austin mayor ‘disappointed' with cost of some tax rate election proposals
AUSTIN (KXAN) — After Austin city council members laid out their proposals for a tax rate election Thursday, Mayor Kirk Watson told KXAN he doesn't like the cost to taxpayers in some of those plans and will only vote to send a tax rate election to voters if the money will fund core city services. 'I must admit that right now I'm disappointed that the numbers we're talking about are higher than I would feel comfortable voting for,' Watson said. 'There could be something that I would vote for that's higher than what my proposal is, but it would have to be funding core basic services in a way that I felt comfortable with.' Austin leaders lay out tax rate election proposals — how much could it cost you? Because of a 2019 state law, taxing entities cannot raise the property tax rate more than 3.5% from the year prior without triggering a tax rate election (TRE). That's where the city manager's base budget sits right now — at the 3.5% rate allowed without triggering a TRE — which would still mean a total monthly increase of $18.18 per month or $218.16 annually for the 'average' ratepayer and taxpayer. Some Austin city council members are calling for the overall impact to taxpayers to be much higher than that — at the highest end, $267.20 more annually. That's on top of the base budget and would bring the annual increase for the average homeowner and rate payer to as much as $485.36. Those council members want the city to put money toward homelessness, housing, parks maintenance, wildfire mitigation and other services. You can find a full list of proposals and what they would fund here. 'Absolutely. This is a process and we are looking to see where we can come together, what number that might be,' Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter said when asked if he would be willing to come down on the amount requested from taxpayers. He's one of the council members proposing the most expensive tax rate election. Watson also put forward a proposal that calls for a 3.5-cent tax increase, which would raise the average homeowner's property taxes by $138.54 over the city manager's base proposal. Most of the money in that proposal would go toward fully funding the Homeless Strategy Office's plan. 'What I really want us to prioritize, what I want to see a real emphasis on… is now that we have the plan, let's use that plan, let's fund that plan,' Watson said. All of the proposals on the table, with the exception of one, look to fully fund the Homeless Strategy Office's plan. Wildfire mitigation and parks maintenance also appear to be common themes in those proposals. Austin city council will take up their budget and tax rate starting on Wednesday. 'If I'm going to ask voters to raise their taxes to pay for those services I want to be able to ask them to do it for basic, core services and I'm going to be very stingy about that on their behalf,' Watson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword


USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
The Daily Money: A housing match made in heaven
Good morning! It's Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money. When Cristiana Perez and Nick Porter began house-hunting in New York State in 2021, they were open-minded about their prospects, but they kept getting priced out. Finally, they had an epiphany. Four years later, the couple are the proud owners of a former church. As church attendance declines and the housing market gets tighter, Perez and Porter's path may hold promise. The wealthiest suburbs of America's biggest cities New York's wealthiest suburb is Scarsdale, a name long linked to affluence. Wellesley, the most well-heeled Boston suburb, is known for academia. Fewer Americans might recognize the name of Hinsdale, Chicago's wealthiest suburb. And some non-Texans might struggle to differentiate between University Park and West University Place, the most affluent suburbs, respectively, of metropolitan Dallas and Houston. Here are the wealthiest suburbs of America's largest cities. 📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰 📰 A great read 📰 Finally, here's a popular story from earlier this year that you may have missed. Read it! Share it! Americans currently owe roughly $1.8 trillion in student loan debt. Yet, despite rising costs, going to college is a decision that can give you a high return on your investment. The size of that return, however, can depend on your major. About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you. Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.


USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
These are the wealthiest suburbs of America's biggest cities
New York's wealthiest suburb is Scarsdale, a name long linked to affluence. Wellesley, the most well-heeled Boston suburb, is known for academia. McLean, a high-earner enclave outside the nation's capital, houses diplomats and spies. Fewer Americans might recognize the name of Hinsdale, Chicago's wealthiest suburb. And some non-Texans might struggle to differentiate between University Park and West University Place, the most affluent suburbs, respectively, of metropolitan Dallas and Houston. A new report from the personal finance site GOBankingRates identifies the wealthiest suburbs of America's 50 largest metropolitan areas in 2025. It's a spinoff from an earlier analysis, which listed the wealthiest suburbs in America. Some of the names are familiar. The nation's wealthiest suburb is Scarsdale, a storied suburb in New York's leafy Westchester County. New York state, California and Texas are home to eight of the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America, Census data show. Other affluent suburbs attract little attention outside their own regions. A 'Jeopardy!' contestant might be hard-pressed, for example, to identify Alamo as the wealthiest suburb of San Francisco. "I wasn't really familiar with Milton, Georgia, until the survey," said Rudri Patel, a senior financial expert at GOBankingRates, referring to the wealthiest Atlanta suburb. "I think affluence is moving beyond stereotyped geographic regions," such as Beverly Hills, she said. "It doesn't need to be 90210." To compile the report, researchers found the suburb with the highest mean household income for each of the 50 largest metropolitan areas. Communities of fewer than 5,000 households were omitted. Here are the wealthiest suburbs of the largest cities Here, then, are the wealthiest suburbs of the 20 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. New York: Scarsdale. This famous New York suburb boasts an average household income of $601,193, as of 2023. The average Scarsdale home is worth $1.6 million, as of June 2025. It's the wealthiest suburb in America. Los Angeles: Palos Verdes Estates. Forget Beverly Hills: Palos Verdes Estates, part of the tony Palos Verdes Peninsula, is the wealthiest L.A. suburb and the 11th wealthiest in the nation. Household incomes average $367,178. Home values average $2.8 million. Chicago: Hinsdale. Most people associate Chicago's North Shore with suburban wealth, but the city's wealthiest suburb (and the nation's eighth wealthiest) sits to the west. Hinsdale has an average household income of $376,366. Home values average $1.3 million. Dallas-Fort Worth: University Park. The nation's sixth-wealthiest suburb is named for Southern Methodist University. The average household income is $389,868, and home values average $2.4 million. Houston: West University Place. This unsung suburb of Houston, named for nearby Rice University, is the nation's third wealthiest. Average household income is $409,677. The average home value is $1.1 million. Washington, D.C.: McLean. The most affluent D.C. suburb ranks 12th nationally. The average household income is $364,591, and home prices average $1.7 million. Philadelphia: Ardmore. This Main Line Philly suburb does not rank among the nation's 50 wealthiest, but Ardmore residents are doing just fine. Average household income is $161,029, and home prices average $527,016. Atlanta: Milton. This suburb wasn't incorporated until 2006, although its namesake, John Milton, fought in the Revolutionary War. Milton does not rank among the nation's 50 wealthiest suburbs. Household income averages $225,532, and the average home is worth $976,830. Miami: Pinecrest. You don't hear much about the nation's 21st wealthiest suburb, which sits south of Miami. Household incomes average $312,591, and home values average $2.4 million. Phoenix: Scottsdale. Though technically a suburb, Scottsdale is larger than many central cities, with a population of 241,361 in 2020. Scottsdale does not rank among the nation's 50 wealthiest suburbs. Household income averages $168,679, and home values average $946,327. Boston: Wellesley. The nation's 10th wealthiest suburb is home to Wellesley and Babson colleges. Household incomes average $368,179, and home values average $2.1 million. San Francisco: Alamo. Technically a suburb of Oakland, Alamo sits in Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco. Household incomes average $403,334. Home values average $2.5 million. Alamo is the nation's fifth wealthiest suburb. Riverside-San Bernardino, California: Eastvale. Who knew the Inland Empire ranked as the 13th largest metro area in America? As for Eastvale, it's an enclave of former dairy farms, incorporated in 2010. Household income averages $177,404, and home prices average $965,438. Detroit: Birmingham. Grosse Pointe may be more famous, but Birmingham is Detroit's wealthiest suburb, with an average household income of $240,711 and an average home value of $822,581. Birmingham does not rank among the nation's 50 wealthiest suburbs. Seattle: Mercer Island. The wealthiest Seattle suburb is an actual island, east of the city. It ranks 29th nationally. Household incomes average $303,425, and home values average $2.5 million. Minneapolis-Saint Paul: Edina. One of the first Minneapolis suburbs, Edina was once reachable by streetcar. Household incomes average $205,682, and home values average $785,567. Like most of the remaining suburbs on this list, Edina does not rank among the 50 wealthiest U.S. suburbs. San Diego: Solana Beach. With average home values of $2.6 million, Solana Beach is one of the most expensive suburbs in America. The average household income is a more modest $216,465. Tampa-St. Petersburg: Keystone. This little-known suburb ranks as the wealthiest in Tampa-St. Pete, with an average household income of $199,755. The average home value is only $277,636. Denver: Greenwood Village. Denver's wealthiest suburb was settled, fittingly, by gold prospectors. Household incomes average $258,780, and home prices average a whopping $1.6 million. Baltimore: Annapolis Neck. This waterfront community is technically a suburb of Annapolis, the Maryland capital. The average household income is $240,059, and home values average $665,302. Beyond the top 20: Other wealthiest suburbs Didn't see your city in the top 20? Here are the wealthiest suburbs of some other large metros. St. Louis: Clayton. Average household income: $216,884. Average home value: $1.1 million. Portland, Oregon: Cedar Mill. Average household income: $223,012. Average home value: $796,226. Pittsburgh: Franklin Park. Average household income: $218,236. Average home value: $502,695. Cincinnati: Mason. Average household income: $161,798. Average home value: $565,612. Cleveland: Solon. Average household income: $186,260. Average home value: $461,665. Indianapolis: Zionsville. Average household income: $220,563. Average home value: $666,102. Nashville, Tennessee: Brentwood. Average household income: $261,248. Average home value: $1.4 million. Milwaukee: Mequon. Average household income: $209,904. Average home value: $669,603.