LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock County commissioners voted to support a revised plan for the Lubbock County Expo Center after 45 minutes of debate, overruling County Judge Curtis Parrish’s opposition.
The updated proposal keeps the event venue location at North Loop and University but features a new design and reduced price tag. Commissioners approved a resolution allowing the center to spend $375,000 to get a new design scheme from Parkhill.
“Today I stand before you the most excited that I’ve been, that we’re the closest we’ve been to have a plan, to have a project that is viable. A project that will work,” Randy Jordan, board chairman of the Lubbock County Expo Center, said.
More than $7 million in county funding has been allocated to infrastructure at the site and a previous site plan that private fundraising could not support. Parrish questioned the project’s financial management and transparency.
“Because I believe in the project, my problem is I don’t believe that you have the best interest of the county in mind,” Parrish said. “We still don’t have a good record or a good accounting of where all that money has gone to.”
Jordan apologized for past issues but defended moving forward.
“Y’all throw all the rocks you want to great, but we have spent hours trying to come up with something that will be affordable and do that, to unwind it now, to say we can’t move forward would be ridiculous. Would be absolutely mind-boggling,” Jordan said.
The updated plan reduces the price tag from $97 million to $67 million. Jordan said the funding would include $10 million from hotel occupancy tax already collected, $32 million in bonds supported by hotel occupancy tax, and $25 million in private fundraising.
Parrish criticized the new expenditure for design work.
“These aren’t plans,” Parrish said. “These are going to be pretty pictures is what you’re buying for $375,000.”
The Civil District Attorney’s Office said it plans to work with the Lubbock County Expo Center to improve financial transparency.
“Because I’ll be honest with you, no one has done a good job of that. It is unfamiliar to us, we don’t know what we’re doing, but we’re about to figure it out so that we can have a better financial relationship between LCEC and the county,” Ashley Cox said.
The Local Government Corporation appointed by the court to oversee the project recommended supporting the resolution. Secretary Bill McCay said the resolution provides oversight for the court and community to monitor how the expo center uses its funding.
Parrish attempted to amend the resolution to add language protecting the county, but failed. The original resolution passed, allowing Parkhill to proceed with creating a new plan for the reduced budget.
Commissioners will review the new design once completed.
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