Lubbock County District Court budget deliberations stalled Monday when two county commission members skipped the court’s regular session to protest a proposed property tax increase that the court’s other members say is necessary to maintain county safety.
2nd District Commissioner Jason Corley (R-Slaton) and 4th District Commissioner Jordan Rackler (R-Shallowater) boycotted Monday’s bimonthly meeting at 10 a.m. after weeks of budget workshops, presumably to force the county to adopt a tax rate with no new revenue for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Although three of the court’s five members constitute a quorum, Texas law requires four members to vote on a tax rate. If commissioners do not vote on a tax rate by the Sept. 30 statutory deadline, the tax rate will automatically be adopted with no new revenue.
“Normally at this point we would be discussing and considering the tax rate for this year, but only three of us have chosen to show up for work today,” District Judge Curtis Parrish (R-Lubbock) said during the meeting.
“We have spent the last five years putting Lubbock County on the right path and looking to the future,” Parrish said. “Going back to a tax rate with no new revenue would be a major step backwards for Lubbock County and it will take us years to recover from that.”
The proposed tax rate of 35.8989 cents per $100 of a property’s taxable value will result in an annual tax increase of about $68 for the average home, according to county documents.
According to Parrish, implementing a tax rate without new revenue would mean the county would have to cut its already lean and fiscally conservative budget by $7.5 million.
“It means we have to cut back on things that are important to this community and probably not be able to maintain the things we are blessed with here in Lubbock County,” Parrish said.
This year’s budget discussions in the Commissioners’ Court have been tumultuous at times, with court members primarily divided over funding for the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office. Corley and Rackler want to eliminate several proposed new positions in the sheriff’s office in order to maintain a low tax rate. Parrish and the other two commissioners — 1st District Commissioner Terence Kovar, R-Lubbock, and 3rd District Commissioner Gilbert Flores, D-Lubbock — say funding for the positions will be critical to the growing county’s continued public safety.
More: Lubbock County Commissioners Struggle to Balance Public Safety Funding and Tax Revenue
Sheriff Kelly Rowe requested funding for a number of new police and corrections positions, including four patrol officers, four mental health support workers and eight new jail guards, the Avalanche-Journal previously reported. Corley does not believe those positions should be funded until existing jail vacancies are filled.
While a handful of citizens demonstrated outside the courthouse, several spoke in support of Corley and Rackler at Monday’s meeting, urging commissioners to make cuts to avoid a property tax increase.
“I am here today to deliver a message from the people of Lubbock County loud and clear: We do not want higher taxes and we will not tolerate being intimidated or misled into believing that this is what is best for us. Your duty is to serve the people and right now you are failing us,” said Sarah Weede. “These commissioners are listening to their constituents and using every tool the Texas Constitution provides to prevent an unnecessary and burdensome tax increase. That is exactly what we expect from our elected officials.”
Others defended the proposal, including Nicole Cravey, who said she works at EMS. Cravey argued for the additional funding, saying the sheriff’s office is critical to ensuring it remains safe and treats patients as quickly as possible.
“There is a very clear shortage of deputies that can respond to 911 calls, and we have to sit and wait to save these people’s lives because they may be psychotic or there are a whole host of other reasons why we can’t get to them by ambulance to save their life,” Cravey said. “I have a growing family and I’m willing to pay a little bit more to put those extra men and women on the streets to help us.”
Following public comments, Parrish, Flores and Kovar expressed their disappointment with the state of budget discussions and the absence of the commissioners.
“It’s a shame we can’t work as a court, we can’t work as a team here,” Flores said. “Instead of being here and fighting and giving us a reason not to do this and that, they’re out there hiding behind the trees.”
“If you don’t agree with us, don’t run away from us. Let’s sit down and talk about it.”
Parrish said that while he, Kovar and Flores are working on more than $7 million in savings, there are some areas where he is not willing to compromise.
“I trust Sheriff Rowe when he says he needs additional deputies, so we will not cut funding to our sheriff’s department. Public safety will continue to be the top priority in this budget,” Parrish said, adding that he also has limited ability to cut funding to the court system. “And I will not agree to cut this budget to the detriment of Lubbock County employees. These employees work tirelessly to provide essential services to the citizens of our county, and they deserve our thanks and support.”
“That’s why we’re going to look at other areas in this budget. We recognize that anything we cut will hurt some people in our community, whether it’s roads, parks, maintenance or other essential county services. It will also hurt the growth of this county.”
Parrish added that he would pay his budgeted 2% salary increase back into the general fund.
“As we move forward, the three of us (Parrish, Flores and Kovar) ask for your prayers. I do not believe these cuts are in the best interest of Lubbock County and we need wisdom,” Parrish said. “Cuts of this magnitude will undo a lot of the progress we have made over the last five years. They will set us back and it will take years to catch up.”
The AJ has reached out to Corley and Rackler for comment.
