LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock County maintenance crews complete more than 30,000 work orders every year, and the county\u2019s facilities director says that number has grown slowly each year \u2014 a trend he warns will continue without action on deferred maintenance.<\/p>\n
Facilities Director Wes Green is asking county commissioners to increase maintenance spending in the upcoming budget cycle, citing a 2022 facilities assessment that found significant deferred maintenance across county-owned properties.<\/p>\n
The 2022 assessment evaluated 30 Lubbock County buildings, garages and warehouses, using the Facility Condition Needs Index. Only about one-third were rated in \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cfair\u201d condition. Assessors found 15 in \u201cpoor\u201d condition and four in \u201cvery poor\u201d condition.<\/p>\n
Green said those ratings do not mean the buildings are unsafe or unusable, but that replacements or repairs need to be considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe facilities for the most part are in decent shape. I mean, they\u2019re not crumbling around us,\u201d Green said. \u201cIt\u2019s coming to a point where we probably ought to start looking at being more aggressive in our process so that way we have less deferred maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time of the 2022 assessment, deferred maintenance was estimated at approximately $30 million. Green said the county has spent about $3 million per year over the last several years to address it.<\/p>\n
He said higher annual investments would be needed to make a meaningful dent.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeferred maintenance continues to come about every day,\u201d Green said. \u201cThey would break it down into another plan where you spent $5 million, another plan was $8 million a year. And that would help you maintain or even start to encroach upon reducing some of your deferred maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green said it is difficult to know the exact impact of work completed so far, which is why he is asking commissioners to fund a new facilities assessment along with software to help track future projects.<\/p>\n
He said operating another year at the no-new-revenue property tax rate would force difficult decisions \u2014 including whether the Lubbock County Detention Center receives another section of a new roof.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe detention center is on our list and they have quite a few items on their list and roofs and elevators and other things like that are on that list,\u201d Green said. \u201cWe\u2019ll just have to see what the budget can allow us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2022 assessment projected that if no action is taken to address deferred maintenance, costs could rise to nearly $90 million over the next five years. Green said inflation means anything not addressed sooner will cost more later.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t have these buildings, we don\u2019t have these facilities, it\u2019s not just one person that suffers,\u201d Green said. \u201cWe all suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n
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