Lubbock County Property Tax Increase Left up to Voters

The Lubbock County Commissioners Court meet on Monday, August 16, and voted unanimously to put a proposed property tax increase on the November 2 general election ballot.

From here, it's left to Lubbock voters to decide whether or not to pass the new rate for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

The proposal would increase the tax rate by two cents, from $0.339978 to $0.35999 per $100 of value. This would increase revenue for the county by over three percent. Lubbock County says the average taxable value of a home increased by approximately $10,000 from 2020 to $167,776. Meaning the proposed tax rate would increase the yearly payment on that average home by $69.72, bringing the total to $603.98.

The commissioners court says the extra revenue would go to salaries, disparity pay, and to create new positions, mainly concerning the county sheriff's office. The sheriff's office would get around $5 million in extra funding.

A public hearing on the proposed property tax rate will occur on Monday, August 23 at 10:15 a.m. in the Lubbock County Courthouse, located at 904 Broadway Street.

If the proposed tax rate fails at the ballots, the tax rate would revert to the voter-approval rate, which is $0.324942.

Early voting begins on October 18.