LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The Lubbock City Council held a general fund budget workshop Friday, focusing on property tax revenue and previously announced priorities including pay raises for city workers.
City Manager Jarrett Atkinson’s budget proposal includes a 3% across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment. Government data shows prices have increased more than 3.5% since last summer.
“That is three percent for everybody that is in the general fund that is not police and fire,” Atkinson said. “If you’re a civilian employee of the city, that is the proposal, and $1.865 million is the cost.”
Property tax rate
The city manager’s office is asking for a property tax rate above the “no new revenue” rate but below the voter approval rate.
Atkinson said overall taxable property values in the community increased, but exemptions and other losses will offset those gains.
“Overall in the community taxable value went up — exemptions and other losses went up enough to overcome that,” Atkinson said.
What comes next
Meet-and-confer agreements covering pay raises for police and schedule changes for firefighters are also part of the broader budget discussions.
The proposal presented Friday is not the final budget plan. Council members may offer amendments and negotiate changes over the next month. The council must pass a budget and a new tax rate by Oct. 1.
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