LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock County’s auditor will file the proposed budget for next year in the coming days.
The proposal would lower property taxes for homeowners, but County Judge Curtis Parrish said it comes at a cost to the county’s future.
Lubbock County commissioners are proposing to adopt the no-new-revenue property tax rate, consistent with the rate adopted in recent years.
This year, some internal budget discussions have been made more public. Along with the tax rate and budget hearings, which have always been public, the county shared recordings of several workshops held over the summer.
Workshop ends with commissioners walking out
The most recent workshop, held earlier this month, ended with some commissioners getting up and walking out mid-conversation.
“We’ve already said what we said we want to do. We’re done,” Commissioner Jason Corley said.
Commissioners Jason Corley, Cary Shaw and Jordan Rackler got up and left after about 25 minutes of conversation with the county judge and auditor.
The meeting was scheduled as a follow-up with the sheriff’s office but turned into a broader conversation about how the county can move forward with the no-new-revenue rate.
“It just robs our future,” Parrish said.
“You have a consensus,” Corley said.
“I don’t have a consensus on how to balance the budget,” County Auditor Kathy Williams said.
The court proposed the no-new-revenue tax rate of .322, down from .327 last year. That amounts to about a $27 discount for the average homeowner compared with last year.
“Just because it’s proposed, and you put it in the paper, you can still come back and vote on a tax rate that will support the needs of the county,” Williams said.
Williams said that rate would bring in about $1 million less than last year, while several county department heads have said their costs continue to rise.
Williams said the no-new-revenue rate wouldn’t leave room for recurring expenses, like cost-of-living adjustments, or raises, for county employees, which commissioners have said they want to provide.
“How am I supposed to pay for COLA? A recurring expense that I’m telling you the no-new-revenue rate will not fund. Would you not rate the tax rate at least enough for COLA?” Williams said.
Williams said that going to that rate would still lead to a decrease in homeowners’ property taxes. Under the no-new-revenue rate, Williams said she would have to do a budget amendment to provide a COLA, and would have to determine if it’s legal first.
“So you don’t want to follow the GFOA’s recommendation on how to do a balanced budget. That’s what you’re telling me?” Williams said.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Corley said.
If commissioners want to fund the COLA, Williams said they have to find the money for it somewhere.
“Now your job is to cut what you decided not to fund, to balance this budget, to zero,” Williams said. “You had all day to do it. You did nothing. Yes, you all did nothing.”
Sheriff Kelly Rowe says safety in the county will suffer if something doesn’t change.
“So, we’re not doing a needs-based budget?” Parrish said.
“We’re doing a no-new-revenue rate budget,” Rackler said.
“How long can you guys sustain that? Just every year it’s the same…and we continue to not address issues that are long-standing, whether it’s facilities, whether it’s personnel, whether it’s whatever, while you guys — and I said this to all four of you last year — because you don’t have to live with the ramifications of these decisions you make,” Rowe said.
After the meeting, the commissioners’ court proposed the no-new-revenue rate. On Friday, Sept. 4, the auditor is set to file the proposed budget with the county clerk. A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14, where residents can share their input with commissioners.
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