Justin Martin – running for Precinct 2 commissioner in the March Republican Primary against Kevin Pounds and Trey Newton – was a business owner even before he graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in interdisciplinary agriculture.

“I had a little landscape business. We had about 75 accounts or yards that we mowed – took care of and maintained,” Martin said.

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After college, he started his career as a schoolteacher for two years.

“I starved to death being a schoolteacher back then. You know, I think the base salary was like $22 or $24,000 a year,” Martin said.

“Whether you’re good or bad or whatever the case may be, you still make the same amount of money. So, I thought, I need to do something for myself and for the future,” Martin said.

He spent seven years working for someone else’s company before founding JM Martin Custom Homes in Slaton.

“I’m a lifelong resident of Slaton in Lubbock County, born and bred 100 percent West Texas. This is where I was raised and this is where I’ll stay and die,” Martin said.

Martin also mentioned his wife and two daughters – ages 14 and 11.

“I’ve probably invested – I don’t know – somewhere between about $9 million of my own money in building structures, duplexes, quadplexes, new construction, remodels [and] commercial building remodels here in Slaton. So, I’m always trying to improve my community and just make it the better place for sure,” Martin said.

He said also participated in the Republican Party as a precinct chair for six years.

“I’ve served on the Slaton School Board for a total of 12 years,” Martin said.

His time as a teacher shaped his perspective. He gave an example from his time teaching a shop class.

“We had a small budget in the shop, like $1,500. And I’ll never forget, we were really conservative and we didn’t waste any money whatsoever. And then at the end of the year, we had $1,000 left in the account. And the principal comes and says, ‘Hey, if you don’t spend it, you’re going to lose it.’ And it never made any sense to me,” Martin said.

“They were going to cut that out of our budget the next year if we didn’t spend it. And I think that’s a lot of the problems with government,” Martin said.

Make it ‘boring’ again

When asked why he decided to run, Martin answered, “My goal was to get this commissioners court boring again.”

“I think you just need a steady hand. You just need someone that will still stand up for the taxpayer and do what’s right – but at the same time, be able to get along and agree to disagree with people,” Martin said.

He hadn’t seen some of the tense discussions during county budget talks in late June, he said, adding officials can stand firm while not belittling each other.

He’s not worried too much by recent budget cuts.

“The last two years with the rollback rate and tax revenue, they’ve had to pull some [money] out of reserves. But at the same time, we haven’t lost any service,” Martin said.

“I think there was a question about the volunteer fire department being cut by $22,000 per department. … I called one of the captains and spoke with him and I think he said, ‘Well, in the last five years we have been given more money than we’ve ever had,” Martin said.

LubbockLights.com asked Martin about Expo Center plans. Voters approved a hotel tax in 2018 to fund it. But delays led to controversy.

“They voted to have it built. … I think the taxpayers would like to see something get rolling no matter what,” Martin said.

His preference is the site at North Loop and North University, not downtown.

As for a long list of capital projects like renovations to the county’s office building at 916 Main, a new parking garage next door to it, a new adult probation office, and a partial roof replacement at the jail, Martin thinks the county might need to have bond election.

“You can’t just raise taxes enough to pay for it,” Martin said.

So, the only way forward is with voter approval, he said.

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