❎Senate bill proves taxing to Texas cities; Critics flock to force Flock changes; So, you wanna be an influencer?

Texas' Attorney General office sent letters to more than 110 Texas cities to notify them they are prohibited from raising ad valorem taxes above the no-new-revenue tax rate. During the 2025 legislative session, SB 1851 was passed and enacted into law. It bars cities from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate if they do not meet Texas’ financial statement audit and transparency requirements.

Flock Safety is a surveillance security company actively used in Fort Worth and many other U.S. cities. It has been under scrutiny from lawmakers from both parties, civil liberties advocates and citizens across the U.S. Now, Flock has announced it is making changes to its platform intended to quell privacy concerns and address documented abuses of its system by some members of law enforcement.

Remember last week's item about Keller residents being surprised by a data center being planned by next-door neighbor Westlake? A Tarrant County judge issued a temporary restraining order halting Westlake from voting on or adopting any plans regarding the construction of a data center. 

Tarrant County College Northeast Campus has filed a construction permit for an $85-million, three-story, 85,000-square-foot science building with instructional labs, student collaboration and faculty office space.

Civil rights advocates asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Texas law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, teeing up a potential test of state-sponsored religious expression in classrooms.

Troy Bertram has been named Chief Executive Officer of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation in Arlington. A U.S. Army veteran, Bertram spent three decades leading teams in the Army, and for Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Dell Technologies. Fewer than 4,000 Americans have received the Medal of Honor.

Believe it or not: The one day in history our 817 Biz newsletter was better than The New York Times'.

OZOP Energy Solutions is expanding to the D-FW market with its Ballislife HYDRO Sports Drink. It announced it had secured placement across 125 convenience retail locations in the D-FW market. Ballislife Drink is a joint venture of Varon USA and Ballislife, Inc.

TCU faculty and students have quantified the financial impact of American Airlines’ hub at D-FW International Airport and it's billions. The report, by faculty and students in the Center for Supply Chain Innovation in the Neeley School of Business, determined that the airline and its directly associated passenger, tenant and cargo activity support an estimated $68.8 billion to $71.1 billion in annual economic output.

Soar, M2G Ventures’ non-profit mental health initiative, is partnering with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to launch the Tarrant County Trauma and Grief Collaborative. The three-year initiative is established to bring evidence-based trauma and grief care to Tarrant County schools and communities.

Dallas' Stars and Mavericks pro teams have settled their spat over control of the American Airlines Center and agreed to play their home games there through 2031. Both have a new arena planned, the Stars in Plano and the Mavs in north Dallas. 

Donating parts to save others: The de-commissioned Freedom-class combat ship USS Fort Worth will be stripped for parts to help sustain the remaining few vessels of the type still in operation. 

A part of UNT Inspire Park in Frisco (52,000 square feet) is going to be transformed into a UNT Health Frisco building and program. Full occupancy is expected by 2030 and will complement the hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy program with expanded health programs, teaching labs and wellness resources, which include mental health counseling and the fitness center.

Panther City BBQ, one of Fort Worth's most popular barbecue restaurants, is expanding. Co-owner and pitmaster Chris Magallanes confirmed the expansion with WFAA Ch. 8. The location will be in the former home of La Playa Maya, a 1913 building at 1540 N. Main St. The restaurant's first location will remain open in the Southside, at 201 E. Hattie St.

The Greater Good Collective, an expansion of Presbyterian Night Shelter’s employment social enterprises, opens next Monday at 2603 S. Cherry Lane at the corner of I-30 and Cherry Lane. The Collective will house several businesses: Greater Grounds (coffeehouse) Greater Grab (thrift store), and Greater Goods (curated boutique items). The Collective also will feature a donation station, Greater Give.

BNSF Railway has expanded intermodal service connecting Phoenix with D-FW, offering shippers a faster, more economical freight option. The six-day service is aimed at converting over-the-road truck freight to rail, and completing the Phoenix-to-north Texas route in a bit more than three days from train departure to availability. 

The next wave of Israel-Texas innovation is speeding past the $4-billion number from three years ago. The Times of Israel breaks it down. 

Sabre Corp’s latest quarterly earnings call struck an upbeat tone, with management emphasizing stronger‑than‑expected revenue ($700 million+) widening margins and a return to positive free cash flow. 

Fort Worth-based Elbit Systems of America is one of only two manufacturers in the U.S. trusted to engineer and manufacture night vision goggles for the United States military. Take an inside look at its Roanoke, Va. manufacturing plant.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Fort Worth) news: 

• Awarded a $24,128,282 modification contract that adds scope for the procurement of material modification kits, special test and tooling equipment, aircraft induction, depot site support, and regional depot modification installations. These are necessary to support F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft retrofit and modification efforts for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales, and non-U.S. Department of War participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed during October 2028. 

• Awarded $31,291,904 for contractor advisory engineering and technical services until organic engineering capability is developed. This contract, to be completed during 2029, involves Foreign Military Sales to Bahrain, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey. 

• Awarded a $29,600,000 order that procures F-35 pilot flight equipment in support of Lot 18-19 aircraft deliveries and operational aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-U.S. Department of War participants. Work is expected to be completed in July 2029. 

Snippets:

• U.S. retail sales slump unexpectedly and sharply in July after a summer tax-refund boost fades.

• Milestone moment: Fort Worth-based Saladmaster celebrates its 80^th  birthday. 

• Global restaurant brand Jollibee debuts first of 24 U.S. franchises in California. Fort Worth is next on the list in 2027. 

• You can now earn an ‘influencer’ degree, but is it worth it?

Today in history: 1914 = Lake Worth filled for the first time, giving Fort Worth a new municipal water supply — and eventually one of the city’s recreational areas. Construction had begun in 1911, and the man-made lake and dam cost about $1.6 million, a substantial investment for a city with fewer than 75,000 residents at the time.

Daily digits: The middle class had $13.6 trillion in household wealth in the first quarter of 2026, 8% of the nation’s total. That’s an average of $503,300 per middle-class household. Over half of middle-class wealth was in real estate (35.9%) and retirement accounts (19.8%).

Significant stat: +3.75% (est) = The increase in local (D-FW) spending during the World Cup, according to Bank of America. The analysis of sales revenue for the bank’s small business clients in D-FW ranked sixth out of the 11 U.S. host locations.

Announcements:

• ESPN: Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, dies at 93.

• United Way of Tarrant County: Selects Kevin Berber as Director of Marketing and Communications.

• Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogy Society: Selects Brittnee Thomas as Executive Director of Lenora Rolla Heritage Center Museum.

• Multicultural Alliance: Names Rattana Mao as interim president and CEO as it launches search for new leadership. 

• Sunwest Communications: Hires Jenny King as Senior Counsel, Client Relations. 

• North Central Texas Council of Governments: Promotes Emily Beckham to Senior Program Manager.  

• Keller ISD Education Foundation: Adds Rola Fadel, Matt McCue and Kristy Shallcross to its Board. 

• Dave & Buster’s: Names Amanda Busby Chief Operating Officer. 

• United Launch Alliance: Names Mark Peller Chief Executive Officer and President. He had served as chief operating officer, overseeing operations for Atlas and Vulcan launch vehicle programs. 

• RS: Names Nisha Brown Vice President of Marketing and Digital Experience for RS Americas.

• Hillwood: Hires Riley Price as Marketing Communications Coordinator. 

• JPMorgan Private Bank: Hires Ryan Prince as Senior Associate, Banker. 

• Heffley Aviation: Hires Elicia McGarry as Controller. 

• Amy Rasor: Joins Fort Work Arts and Gallery of Dreams as Director of Growth and Impact, and joins Dynamic Development Strategies as a Senior Associate.  

• Rachel Swink: Launches marketing and communications consultancy. 

• Communities in Schools of Greater Tarrant County: Corey Bearden of League Real Estate is the new Board Chair. 

• Realpage: Hires William Koop as a Sales Development Representative. 

• HCA/Medical City Healthcare: Promotes Isaac Vasquez to Director of Communications and Community Engagement for Medical City Fort Worth and Medical City Weatherford. 

• JB Warranties: Hires Parker Pruitt as a Territory Manager.

• Nineteen: The Women’s Foundation Network program adds Loren Eaton Rives as Steering Committee Philanthropy Chair. 

• Vista Jet: Adds Travis Tauzin as First Officer on the Challenger 300/350.

• NSight Index: Founded by Amy Sulgrove for networking executives. 

• AlarMax Distributors: Names Brandon Granath Vice President of Strategic Accounts and Outside Sales.
  

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