County Commissioners might get a recommendation this month to go forward with a plan for the proposed Lubbock County Expo Center at North Loop 289 and North University Avenue.
The county’s oversight board for this issue, the Local Government Corporation (LGC), meets twice. The first of the two meetings – Wednesday – is for the LGC to ask questions about the county issuing bonds for an estimated $32 million of debt. The second – December 10 – is to debate and vote on what to recommend.
County Commissioners have the final say.
A non-profit group called the Lubbock County Expo Center Inc. (LCEC) has been raising private donations and doing much of the leg work. LCEC presented its $67 million plan to LGC on November 13, which LubbockLights.com covered here.
The county would chip in $10 million that is already set aside and then issue bonds (debt) for another $32 million. LCEC would make up the difference with private donations, naming rights, a percentage of on-site merchandise sales, parking fees and other revenue sources.
The presentation led to several tense moments – with some members of LGC feeling like they had been excluded from important information. The meeting on Wednesday will give LGC members a chance to ask questions of the county’s “bond counsel” – specialized lawyers who deal with government bonds.
Money collected and spent so far
In 2018, voters approved a hotel tax to pay for a multipurpose venue. At the end of the 2024/25 fiscal year, official records showed the county collected just a touch more than $22 million and spent roughly $7.9 million.
The balance at that time was $14.1 million.
(Click here to see the Venue Tax Status Report for 9/30/2025.)
The expenditures have mostly been for architectural and engineering services.
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Internal county tensions
During the November meeting, some of the tension came from county officials and LGC members questioning whether LCEC really had the money available to make the plan work. But some of the tension was more internal within the county.
LGC board member Gary Boren said early in the meeting some members had information already from the county’s bond counsel. Others did not.
“We had a unanimous vote for the board to meet with bond council – our financial advisor,” Boren said.
Fellow member Carl Isett added, “I still don’t know. And I guess Gary doesn’t know what’s going on.”
The plan calls for a bank loan until all the private donation are collected. Some members of the LGC saw the terms of the loan, others had not.
Boren also said, “We were appointed to oversee this thing. We need to see the documents.”
Member Dwight McDonald said, “Certain people know. I don’t. And I don’t like making decisions without the information.”
Three County Commissioners were present for part of the November 14 LGC meeting.
Commissioner Jordan Rackler indicated he had seen the terms of the loan.
“There are things in this term sheet that we have seen that have some questions that will need to be revised or discussed,” Rackler said.
But he wanted to assure people who had not seen the document, that it did not hold the county responsible for the bank loan – which would be against state law if it happened.
“It’s on LCEC if it fails,” Rackler said.
Boren disagreed, saying to Rackler, “No, it’s on you if it fails. … If you don’t need us, y’all do it.”
Commissioner Jason Corley said, “We’ll figure out what we agree on, what we disagree on, and what we need to work on.”
McDonald responded to Corley, saying, “You say all of us. Do you mean just the county?”
Corley said, “You are the county, sir.”
McDonald, “No I’m not. … Because if I was the county, I’d see the sheet. So, I’m not.”
LGC chairman Gary Greenstreet tried to address the concern of some people knowing and others not knowing what the county’s bond counsel had to say.
“If there’s some that are uncomfortable not knowing what bond counsel has said, I’ll just say this personally. … I’m feeling pretty comfortable that they are comfortable with where this sits,” Greenstreet said.
He then informed the LGC they could ask their questions of the bond counsel in the next meeting.
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