Collin County commissioners will consider a nearly $790,000 amendment to the engineering contract for the Outer Loop Segment 3A, a road corridor that connects directly to Prosper and Celina's growth areas along the Dallas North Tollway, when they meet Monday, Aug. 17.

The same session will kick off the county's FY2027 budget process, where commissioners are expected to propose the FY2027 tax rate and set a date for a public hearing.

What the Outer Loop amendment covers

The county agenda memo, authored by Collin County Director of Engineering Clarence Daugherty, P.E., recommends approving Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 2023-116 with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. The amendment totals $789,790.08, split into two parts: $683,568.03 for additional scope and $106,222.05 to update Jacobs' contract rates from 2022 levels to current 2026 rates.

The new scope includes coordination with the City of Celina on drainage criteria and city ordinances, work with Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative and FEMA to approve a floodplain model for Doe Branch Creek that directly affects the frontage road bridge design, and updates to allow a future direct connector between Legacy Road and the Dallas North Tollway.

The segment runs from Legacy Drive to Choate Parkway. Daugherty's memo also notes coordination with Denton County's Outer Loop to determine impacts on Collin County's second service road and with new development projects adjacent to the corridor.

FY2027 budget and bond election backdrop

Commissioners will also open a special session on the FY2027 budget. The proposed tax rate has not been released publicly; the Aug. 17 meeting is where commissioners are expected to introduce it and schedule a public hearing.

The budget discussion comes as the county prepares for a Nov. 3 bond election. The Commissioners Court called the election on Aug. 10. Shelby Williams, a Republican candidate for Collin County Commissioner Precinct 4, summarized the bond categories on X on Aug. 9.

The rapid growth driving these investments is no secret in northern Collin County. State Rep. Keresa Richardson, whose District 61 includes parts of Prosper and Celina, told a McKinney Chamber of Commerce panel in June: "We are laying the groundwork for businesses to continue to move here. … We just have to get the infrastructure right."

How to weigh in

The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at the Jack Hatchell Administration Building, 4th Floor, 2300 Bloomdale Road, McKinney. Residents who want to address the court must submit a completed Public Comment Form before the meeting starts; each speaker gets three minutes.