ISSUE 6 · SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 · LIFE BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND This Week |
Photo: Adavyd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Election Day is Tuesday, and the forecast says bring an umbrella. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the National Weather Service puts the chance of showers and thunderstorms at 90 percent. Before that, on Monday, the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission takes up new rules for the historic district and a plan to redraw two lots on South 6th Street as three, at a meeting its agenda places at 1517 Thompson Road, the new City Hall. And the votes from the city’s September 21 budget meeting are now posted, so we can finally report them. Around town: a Coco watch party at the library, two evenings at The Bookend, and a gentle gray-and-white cat named Tom.
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Liberty Watch |
Photo: Adavyd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mon 11/2 Planning & Zoning 5 p.m. | Tue 11/3 Election Day 7 a.m.–7 p.m. | Tue 11/10 Development Corp. board, 5 p.m. | Mon 11/16 City Commission 4:30 p.m. |
Tuesday, Election Day. The county’s Election Day schedule lists 101 countywide polling places, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Six with Richmond addresses in ZIP 77469: George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview Dr., large meeting room, first floor), the Richmond Water Maintenance Facility (110 N. 8th St.), the Fort Bend County Tax Office (1317 Eugene Heimann Cir.), Great Oaks Baptist Church (7101 FM 2759), Oakland Elementary (4455 Waterside Estates Dr.) and Randle High School (7600 Koeblen Rd.). The full list is in the county’s Election Day schedule. Early voting is over: the county’s final report counts 271,050 in-person ballots in 12 days, with George Memorial Library at 12,949. Results are the county’s to post after the polls close.
Monday, November 2, 5 p.m. — Planning & Zoning Commission. The agenda places the meeting in the City Commission Room at 1517 Thompson Road and prints a Zoom link for anyone watching from home. On it: a public hearing on a request to replat 0.1446 acres at 812 S. 6th St. (south of Austin Street) into three lots, with variances that would reduce the minimum lot width, lot area and front, interior and street-side setbacks; a public hearing on rewriting parts of the Unified Development Code that cover the Richmond Historical Commission, how historic landmarks and districts are designated, and design standards for the historic overlay district; a preliminary plat for 19.683 acres (Riverwalk Foundation) on the west side of Precinct Line Road north of FM 359; and a staff report on development along Williams Way. The commission recommends; the City Commission decides (agenda).
The September 21 votes, now on the record. In our first issue we said we would confirm the final votes from that meeting. The city has since posted minutes for several meetings from May 18 on, and the newest minutes it posts are for September 21. With Commissioner Terry Gaul absent, the other four members voted for every motion that night and none against, according to the minutes:
- Budget: Ordinance 2026-12 adopted the FY 2026–27 budget, which the city’s announcement puts at $58.0 million. The revisions staff summarized included turning a proposed 3 percent lump-sum employee payment into a 3 percent raise and cutting the sales-tax growth assumption from 5 to 3 percent.
- Tax rate: $0.62 per $100 of value, down from $0.63 — $0.363906 for operations and $0.256094 for debt. Staff explained that the required tax-increase language applied because the operations rate is above the no-new-revenue rate, so the motion adopted a rate “which is effectively a 2.69 percent increase in the tax rate,” even though the total rate went down a cent.
- Utility rates: Ordinance 2026-14 raised residential water 2 percent and residential wastewater 5.5 percent, and moved the solid-waste rate from $22.15 to $23.50.
- Building: a $395,000 contract with Elite Construction and Engineering Services for phase two of the Morton Street parking lot, about 44 spaces; a preliminary plat for Encompass Health, a proposed rehabilitation hospital at FM 762 and Wildwood Parkway; and a rezoning of 8.32 acres at 114 Golfview Dr. to Public/Institutional for county facilities, including a proposed vocational center.
Minutes for the October 19 meeting are not posted yet, nor are minutes for the Development Corporation of Richmond’s October 13 board meeting. We report those results when the minutes are up.
City Hall. The city’s October 2 notice says it plans to move into the new City Hall at 1517 Thompson Road in November and will announce when it is open for business there. Until then, the notice sent residents to City Hall at 402 Morton St. or the Annex at 600 Morton St. through October (city notice). We found no newer notice posted.
| Your move: pick your polling place tonight, not Tuesday morning. Then, if the historic-district rules or the South 6th Street lots matter to you, Monday’s agenda opens with public comment, up to three minutes per item, and holds a public hearing on each. |
Sources: Election Day schedule (PDF) · County Nov 3 election information · Early voting statistics · Nov 2 P&Z agenda (PDF) · Meetings calendar · Sept 21 minutes (PDF) · 2026 agendas & minutes · Budget announcement · City Hall notice · DCR meetings
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Mapping Our Community: Where Richmond’s 62 Cents Goes |
Source: City of Richmond, September 21, 2026 commission minutes (rounded to hundredths of a cent)
The rate the commission set on September 21 has two parts. About 36.4 cents of every 62 goes to running the city, and about 25.6 cents — roughly 41 percent of the bill (our arithmetic) — goes to paying off debt the city has already taken on. On a home with $300,000 of taxable value after exemptions, the city’s share comes to $1,860 a year, of which about $768 is debt service (our arithmetic; the county, school district and other taxing units bill separately).
The lens worth keeping: a lower rate and a bigger bill can both be true. The rate is per $100 of value, so what you pay also moves with your appraisal, and the debt share pays for borrowing the city has already done. Your water, wastewater and trash rates changed by separate ordinance the same night.
| GO DEEPER The Richmond record is being built. The Council on Local Relations publishes sourced city records — see how it works at councilonlocalrelations.org. Start here — the Primers: 01 The Long Flat Line (how the family changed) · 02 The Documents We Live Under (the written rules that limit power) · 03 The Household (what a household buys, priced in years of work) · all primers → From the Council: This week: Teach Me: Notes From the Seat That Sits Down to Learn (The Client); Wisdom That Does Not Transfer Dies (The Patron); Health Is a Project, Not a Prayer (The Physician); The Mortar Is the Part Nobody Sees (The Counselor); Before We Build Anything New, Someone Should Ask What Was Here (The Elder). Get them by email → |
Sources: Sept 21 minutes (PDF) · Budget announcement
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND From the Council This Week |
 | MONDAY, NOV 2 · THE CHIEF OF STAFF I Hold the Map While You Run the Terrain |
Every piece, every figure linked to its source: councilonlocalrelations.org
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Around the Block |
Photo: Fort Bend County Libraries
| Board-Game Night — 6–7 p.m., George Memorial Library, Middle Grade room. Card and board games for grades 4–8. | ||
| Design Basics with Canva — 10–11 a.m., George Memorial Computer Lab. Layout, color and fonts for flyers and social posts; adults, registration required. | ||
| Watch Party: Coco! — 3–5 p.m., George Memorial Room 2A. Disney and Pixar’s film (rated PG), recommended for grades K–5. | ||
| Family Story Time: Jungle Safari — 10:30 a.m., Children’s Corner. Stories, songs and action rhymes, with take-home crafts. | ||
| Screening History: New World Rising — 10:30 a.m.–noon, Room 2C. An episode of the documentary series Native America, for adults. | ||
| Writer’s Boost — 5:30–8:30 p.m., Room 2A. Quiet writing time, word sprints and prompts for teens and adults; registration required. | ||
| Writers Night — 6–10 p.m., The Bookend, 611 Jackson St. Quiet writing time and an optional sharing and feedback circle. | ||
| STREAM Express: Picture This! — 2–3 p.m., George Memorial middle grades area. Hands-on science, art and math activities for families with children of all ages. | ||
| Bunco Night — 7–9 p.m., The Bookend. A beginner-friendly dice game, instruction included; $25 general admission plus a ticket fee. |
Run a Richmond event? Send it by Thursday.
Sources: Board-Game Night · Canva class · Coco watch party · Story Time · Screening History · Writer’s Boost · Writers Night · STREAM Express · Bunco Night
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Prosperity Spotlight |
Photo: Renelibrary / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Every week this space features a Richmond business worth knowing — the shop, the crew, the operator who keeps this town running. Know one we should feature? Hit reply with the name and why, and we’ll take it from there.
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Food Scene |
Photo: Truffle & Rye.
Truffle & Rye
Truffle & Rye calls itself an organic cafe by day and a dinner and wine spot by night, at 107 South 3rd St. in historic downtown. Its site lists breakfast, lunch, coffee and wine, with “familiar favorites, seasonal ingredients and a few things you’ll only find at Truffle & Rye.” In the evening, Truffle After Dark serves a rotating dinner menu, which its calendar lists Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m.
Coming up on its calendar: a complimentary wine tasting on Thursday, November 19, from 5 to 7 p.m., and The Art of Pasta on Friday, November 20, a supper club with a live pasta demonstration and a five-course dinner from Chef Joey Chavez, in two seatings with limited tickets. It also caters, with chef-driven food made with organic ingredients.
| Truffle & Rye · 107 South 3rd St., Richmond Mon–Thu 7 a.m.–3 p.m. · Fri–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (as posted on its site; no Sunday hours or phone posted) · truffleandrye.com |
Sources: Truffle & Rye · Truffle & Rye: Calendar · Truffle & Rye: Catering
✦ Trivia Question |
About 2,000 people lived in Richmond in 1884. Twenty years later, had the town grown or shrunk? (Answer at the bottom.)
✦ Quote of the Day |
“When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived …” — the opening words of the Texas Declaration of Independence, 1836 (Texas State Library transcript)
✦ Secret Little Hack |
Clocks fell back an hour at 2 a.m. today. Daylight saving time ended this morning (NIST). Most phones change on their own; the car, the oven and the wall clock do not. Set them today, so a clock running an hour fast doesn’t tell you the polls have closed on Tuesday when you still have time to vote.
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Real Estate Pulse |
Source: Redfin, read Oct 31, 2026
$340K median sale price 3 mo. to Sep | 65 days on market | 355 homes sold in September | $156 per square foot down 2.5% |
Redfin’s ZIP 77469 page, read Saturday, still covers the three months ending September 2026; October figures are not up yet. One number moved since last week: the median price per square foot is now $156, down 2.5 percent from a year ago (it read $157 then). Redfin’s summary rounds the median sale price to $340,000, down 1.5 percent. Homes are taking a little longer to sell, 65 days against 62 a year earlier, and Redfin rates the ZIP “somewhat competitive,” with the average home selling for about 3 percent below list price. Your move: if you own in the city, your taxable value divided by 100, times $0.62, is your city bill; check that value at fbcad.org.
Sources: Redfin — ZIP 77469 housing market
| Looking to buy or sell? Nina Bright, Realtor — call or text 832-689-3170. Full disclosure: Nina is David’s wife. |
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Service Opportunities |
Photo: Djmaschek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Join the Friends of George Memorial Library. The Friends of the Fort Bend County Library, organized in 1972, was the first library friends group in the county, and the group has paid for things the county budget doesn’t cover: the Summer Reading Program, children’s and adult programs and staff training. Several of this week’s events, the Coco watch party, Board-Game Night and STREAM Express among them, list materials paid for by the Friends. The group runs an ongoing book sale in the library lobby and takes gently used books and audiovisual items. A membership application is on its page, and the contact is GMLibraryfriends@gmail.com (Friends of George Memorial Library).
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Adopt a Friend |
 | Meet Tom About 3 years · Male (neutered) · Domestic Shorthair, gray and white Shelter staff call Tom “equal parts charming, friendly, and independent” — past kittenhood and grown into a gentleman who likes cuddling with his favorite humans. He has feline herpesvirus, which staff say is manageable with supportive vet care and contagious only to other cats, so he would do best as a solo cat or with other herpes-positive cats. He has been in shelter care since March 20, 2026, and is with a short-term foster now: call the shelter to set up a meet and greet. See Tom’s listing → |
| Fort Bend County Animal Services · 1210 Blume Road, Rosenberg · 281-342-1512 Kennels Mon–Fri 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Wed also 5–7 p.m.), Sat 11 a.m.–3 p.m. (closed Sunday) · adoption page |
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Growth & Learning |
Illustration
Free homework help, four afternoons a week. Teacher in the Library puts qualified teachers in Room 2C at George Memorial Library Monday through Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m., for students in grades 3 through 6: homework, test prep and study habits. The library says no appointment is needed and there is no cost. With the clocks back an hour, it is also dark earlier, so it’s a good week to get the homework done before dinner. More at unrivaledacademy.com. (Teacher in the Library)
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Local Theory & Remnant Radio |
 | Now playing: The Operator Standard — Local Theory (April 2, 2026 · 15 tracks). Listen. Remnant Radio streams the whole catalog 24/7 at radio.thinkandactlocally.com · Spotify. Thirteen releases. Sovereignty through sound. In the Studio now: Load Bearing. Vote on the mixes. |
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Weather Forecast |
Sun  Fog, then partly sunny 82° 68° | Mon  Partly sunny 83° 70° | Tue  90% storms 80° 59° | Wed  Sunny 73° 56° | Thu Sunny 76° 55° | Fri Sunny 74° 54° |
Areas of fog this morning, then partly sunny, with a high near 82 and a low around 68 tonight. Monday is partly sunny and near 83. Election Day brings showers and thunderstorms: the chance of rain Tuesday is 90 percent, with a high near 80, and a slight chance of showers lingers before midnight. Then it turns sunny and cooler: highs of 73 Wednesday, 76 Thursday and 74 Friday, with lows in the mid-50s. Saturday is not in the forecast yet.
Sources: National Weather Service (HGX), retrieved Oct 31, 5:50 p.m. CT (forecast updated 1:21 p.m.)
✦ CrowdHealth |
 | David and his family left traditional health insurance for CrowdHealth — a community that funds each other’s medical bills. Bills get negotiated down first. See how it works. We earn a referral if you join. CrowdHealth is not insurance. David is a paying member. |
✦ Unrivaled Travels |
 | Planning a trip worth taking? Our own travel service, licensed travel agents in Pasadena, Texas, plans cruises, Puerto Rico trips and custom getaways for families and groups. info@unrivaledtravels.com · 281-241-1994 · unrivaledtravels.com One of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Candles |
 | Hand-poured jewelry candles — each jewelry candle hides a piece of jewelry inside, valued from $10 to $10,000. Burn it down and find out what’s yours. Shop Unrivaled Candles. Full disclosure: one of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Marketing Solutions |
 | You built the business — now make sure your Richmond neighbors can find it. Book a free 15-minute call with David: we’ll look at how your business shows up online and where customers may be slipping past. If you want us to fix it, that’s paid work, and David will go over the price on the call. Book a free 15-minute call. One of our own businesses. |
✦ Sponsor Spot |
This spot is open. Sponsor this spot — reach Richmond neighbors every Sunday, in the one inbox they actually read. Reply to book it.
✦ They Told Him He Was Crazy |
David sold his metals. Not trimmed — sold. He kept the receipts, every decision sourced, so you can decide for yourself: conviction, or crazy? Read the filing →
David’s own site.
✦ Tuttle Twins: Money skills, starting in 4th grade |
Tuttle Twins’ new Business Basics, Grade 4 is a 36-lesson course for kids ages 10–11, or students working at a 4th-grade level. They start with a lemonade stand and build toward a fundraiser, counting money, making budgets, setting goals and serving customers along the way. It fits right into TAAL’s family-budgeting work: the habits start young. Pre-order from $39 for the digital copy ($49 print, $59 for both). Grade 3 is available now.
As a Tuttle Twins affiliate, TAAL may earn a commission if you buy through our link.
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Community Voices |
The Planning & Zoning Commission takes up new rules for Richmond’s historic district on Monday. Which old building in town would you most want protected, and why? Hit reply — one or two sentences — and we’ll run the best next Sunday.
✦ Take Action |
- Vote Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. — George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview Dr., is one of the county’s Election Day polling places. Bring an umbrella.
- Sit in on Planning & Zoning Monday at 5 p.m., 1517 Thompson Road, or watch on the Zoom link printed on the agenda.
- Meet Tom through Fort Bend County Animal Services — call 281-342-1512 and they will put you in touch with his foster.
✦ Submit Your Content |
Events, business features, volunteer calls, letters from Richmond: david@thinkandactlocally.com. Deadline: Thursday 5 PM for Sunday.
✦ Answer to Trivia |
It shrank. The Handbook of Texas says 2,000 people lived in Richmond in 1884, but the population dropped to 1,500 by 1890 and 1,180 by 1904 (Handbook of Texas).
THE HERALD ✦ RICHMOND Keep the Herald Free |
No advertiser sets our coverage — readers keep it alive. The best thing you can do costs nothing: forward this to one neighbor who still needs to know where to vote on Tuesday.
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The Herald is published by Think and Act Locally. Its facts come from the public record kept by the Council on Local Relations, which shares a founder with Think and Act Locally. Portions drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publication. Reply anytime: david@thinkandactlocally.com.
