James Clark

3 weeks ago | lubbocklights.com | James Clark

Texas cities have been warned not to take advantage of recent property tax relief. The Texas Legislature just funded $41 billion in property tax relief (over two years) and if voters approve in November, then there’s another $10 billion on the way. Lubbock is under pressure to not raise property taxes, according to Tim Collins, city councilman for District 6. “I think the Legislature is going to be somewhat offended,” Collins said of the idea of increasing property tax revenue.

3 weeks ago | lubbocklights.com | James Clark

Last year, two Lubbock County Commissioners walked out of meetings for weeks – keeping their colleagues from raising the tax rate. A year later, those commissioners feel like they have the votes to sustain the no-new revenue tax rate without having the walk out. Over the next few months, the commissioners will try to figure out how to pay for millions of dollars of what they agree are needed projects without higher taxes or putting a bond in front of voters. Increased revenue from growth may help.

1 month ago | lubbocklights.com | James Clark

Thomas Payne (upper left) and Jordan Wheatley (lower right). Graphic by LubbockLights.com The controversial issue of impact fees to help pay for new developments comes back to the Lubbock City Council in June with a committee recommendation to keep them at 25 percent as they’ve been for the past five years. But the issue is much more complex say the people who build new residential and commercial buildings accompanying Lubbock’s growth.

1 month ago | lubbocklights.com | James Clark

Foreground of Bankruptcy Court from Shutterstock, background from court recordsA dozen people want a bankruptcy judge to hold Lubbock businessman Mike Cox accountable for millions of dollars lost in Ferrum Capital. They want the same thing 66 people (or couples) got in late April when judge Mark X. Mullin ruled Cox cannot “discharge” or get rid of $21.7 million of debt. It stays with him even after his bankruptcy case is over. Mullin also ruled Cox violated securities laws.

1 month ago | lubbocklights.com | James Clark

First Texas Tech home game with South End Zone finished last August 31. Photo by Terry Greenberg. When Texas Tech joined the Southwest Conference for college sports in the 1950s, the longest conference road trip was 580 miles to the University of Arkansas. Players were not paid – except if someone cheated and violated the rules. The most egregious example was a slush fund to pay SMU football players leading to multiple probations before getting the NCAA’s “death penalty” in the 1980s.