Lubbock County adopts FY25 budget using reserves, approves 3% employee COLA

The Lubbock County Commissioners Court adopted the fiscal year 2025 budget after extended discussion about revenue constraints and deferred maintenance needs.

County Auditor Miss Williams told the court that the county had chosen to use approximately $7,200,000 from the general fund balance to accommodate the 'no new revenue' tax rate for FY25 and warned that the use of reserves would need to be accounted for in FY26. "Lubbock County chose to utilize the general fund balance totaling approximately $7,200,000," the auditor said during the presentation. The auditor also presented line-item transfers of $698,628 and budget amendments totaling $8,423,800 earlier in the meeting.

Judge Parrish and commissioners debated necessary cuts and delays to capital and maintenance projects, noting elevator replacements and first-floor renovations were being deferred. Parrish emphasized the short-term nature of those choices and the risk of returning to deferred projects in future years: "These delays are just delaying us, they are going to come back," he said. The judge also acknowledged staff efforts and said the court built a 3% COLA for county employees into the adopted budget, a reduction from a previously discussed 5% consensus.

The court approved the budget by motion; the adoption followed the auditor's presentation and a broader discussion of long-term fiscal impacts. The judge repeatedly cautioned the court about relying on reserves and said that though the county will operate this year, the approach requires difficult choices going forward.