Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Demolitions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council restores demolition fund with $100,000 budget amendment
Summary
Lubbock city council unanimously approved a $100,000 budget amendment on May 12 to restore the demolition line to $300,000 after staff said rising contractor bids and a backlog of unsafe structures have drained the current $200,000 allocation.
The Lubbock City Council voted unanimously May 12 to add $100,000 to the code enforcement demolition line, restoring the account to $300,000 and allowing staff to continue contractor-led abatements of unsafe structures.
Assistant City Manager Eric Rahino told council the city currently budgets $200,000 for demolitions and has already removed 12 structures this fiscal year. He and code enforcement staff said contractor bids have increased, with typical single-family demolitions doubling over the last year and some commercial bids running substantially higher. "We are actually right at budget now and have demolished 12 structures," Rahino said, asking the council to fund an additional $100,000.
Code enforcement manager Mr. Walker described the municipal-court-driven process: inspectors issue notices of violation; the city pursues compliance through municipal court, where judges typically grant property owners 30–90 days to act; if owners fail to comply the city hires a contractor to abate the hazard and places a lien on the property to recover costs. Walker said the earliest a case can realistically appear before the judge today is about 90 days.
Council members pressed staff on average per-demo costs and recovery. Rahino said a small demo historically averaged roughly $17,000, but that costs have escalated. "A couple of structures bid really high—one residential and one commercial—that impacted our budgets," Walker said. Councilmember Rose noted that the city has limited options to collect demolition liens and asked whether the outstanding lien balance is significant; staff said demolition and weed liens combined exceed $7 million, many dating to the 1970s and 1980s and often cleared only when a property transfers.
Councilmember Harris thanked the code enforcement team and urged approval, noting the nuisance, public-safety and blight impacts on neighbors when demolition is delayed. The motion to approve the amendment carried unanimously.
Next steps: staff will continue to bid and schedule contracted demolitions and pursue lien recovery when possible. Council members said they will discuss longer-term options for addressing aged liens as part of the FY27 budget work.
