Three Lubbock County commissioners have stopped a county property tax increase, but not everyone is happy about it.
During a meeting this week, the five-member Lubbock County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to approve the no-new-revenue property tax rate for 2025, which will be used to budget the county’s spending for the upcoming year.
Some county employees fear that without a property tax increase, they may not receive raises.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Jason Corley, Precinct 3 Commissioner Cary Shaw, and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jordan Rackler voted for the taxpayer-friendly rate that generally keeps property tax bills about the same year over year.
The no-new-revenue rate is calculated to raise the same amount of total tax revenue from the same properties taxed the previous year. As taxable property values go up, the no-new-revenue rate goes down.
The average homestead taxable value increased about 2 percent, from $219,455 to $223,528.
The approved rate of $0.327425 per $100 of taxable valuation will lower the average Lubbock County homeowners’ 2025 tax bill from $735 to $732.
County Judge Curtis Parrish and Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Dalby voted against the no-new-revenue rate, arguing that without a property tax increase, the county could be forced to cut back on services such as public safety.
Tax increase proponents also feared that the no-new-revenue rate would require cutting planned 3-percent employee raises or even lead to layoffs.
Parrish proposed keeping the current tax rate of $0.3347, which would result in a tax bill of $748 for the average homeowner, but his motion did not receive a second.
An unusually large number of county employees attended Monday’s commissioners court meeting.
They applauded when Dalby stated in a prepared speech that he would oppose the no-new-revenue rate.
One county employee spoke during public comments and criticized the lower tax rate.
“That’s your Lubbock County swamp,” Corley told Texas Scorecard on Thursday. “Money is tight and times are hard, but they’re still demanding more from taxpayers.”
Corley believes some county department heads may have encouraged their employees to attend the meeting, which took place during work hours.
Last week, the county auditor asked all departments to cut their proposed 2025-26 operating budgets by 10 percent.
Corley then received an email from Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney Kristina Sunshine Stanek stating she was “disappointed” her employees “will not be getting raises.”
Yet according to Corley, the requested budget cuts did not apply to employee salaries. He also noted that DA office employees had received 3-percent raises “every year since 2019.”
Corley emphasized that the county exists to support the taxpayers, not the other way around.
He and Rackler blocked a tax increase last year by skipping tax-vote meetings.
State law requires four commissioners at a meeting to approve a tax levy. Without a vote, the tax rate defaults to the no-new-revenue rate.
With the new 2025 tax rate set, commissioners will approve a budget for 2025-26 in September.
Lubbock County residents can contact commissioners court members with questions or comments.
