For many voters in Northeast and Central Lubbock's District 1, this year's race for city council representation will look familiar. In 2022, Christy Martinez-Garcia and Pat Kelly were on the ballot for that seat.
Martinez-Garcia won that race and was nominated to be the city's mayor pro tem in 2024, and now she's running for re-election to continue representing Northeast and Central Lubbock. She sat down with KTTZ to discuss her campaign and the issues she's focused on for District 1.
Election Day for Lubbock's 2026 municipal election is May 2, and early voting runs April 20-28. You can find more information and polling locations here.
The following interview has been edited lightly for clarity.
Brad Burt: I'm Brad Burt with KTTZ, and I am here with City Council candidate for District 1, Christy Martinez-Garcia. Thank you so much for joining us.
Christy Martinez-Garcia: Thank you. The incumbent candidate.
Brad Burt: The incumbent candidate for District 1, yes ma’am. For those who may have just joined Lubbock's community in the last four years, tell us about yourself.
Christy Martinez-Garcia: So my name is Christy Martinez-Garcia. I am from Lubbock. I have lived in this community, have been very involved in this community. My business is here. I've raised my family here. I mean, this is such an important part of my life is Lubbock, Texas.
This is the chapters – I've lived in other cities. I worked in DC for a national organization. I own a publication that is in Lubbock and 23 rural communities, and I make it positive news, ‘News they can use,’ is what I always tell everybody, because it's so important that we… You know, it's easy to complain, but it's even better when they find a solution and help address the issues themselves. So I think it's important to empower the community, and that's something that I live by, and I have done.
BB: This year, through this election season, what issues have you heard from voters in your district and what do you see as some priority items for District 1?
CMG: There's a lot of different things that the community is concerned about. Of course, public safety is always something that's important. We were laughing, because often you hear folks say, ‘We need more police.’ And so we have police out there, this week, we're preparing for the George Strait concert, and DPS has been out there, and they're like, ‘There's too much law enforcement out here!’ So you know, it's always going to be that you're going to have those folks that want more, those that want less.
And the city government, our focus is – it's a big picture – but our focus is making sure that we're providing the essential needs to the city: water, solid waste, Animal Services, all these different things, public safety which – speaking of Animal Services – that's definitely an issue of concern for all of us. And as you know, I've worked to address that, in so many ways.
I've been very active in connecting with our Animal Services staff and supporting them, because I think it's, you know, we've tried to make sure that we're giving them all the tools. But right now, we have a no kill shelter, like a lot of cities in the state of Texas and across the nation, and so it is important for us to find other ways to address the issues. And it's like, you know, the chicken and the egg, but in this case, one of the things that we have done is we have increased making sure that folks are getting access to spay and neutering opportunities, and we've made a dent. We have a vet named Dr. Machado, who has done an exemplary job. And I mean, you just cannot – we're very blessed to have her, and she does that every day. I got to actually watch her perform some spay and neutering to some pets, or animals, that is. And she is so empathetic, but she also knows this is her role. I think it's her calling, you know? But she's just wonderful. And then our staff, we have micro chipping and we also have a fence program that we run out of money quick – we have a waiting list right now– but we're all doing so much. And even the other day, I met with state representative [Carl] Tepper and the representative from the County, as well as our Animal Services, so that we can get down to the nitty gritty. What do we need to do?
And you know what? Again, there's so many moving parts, but it also includes that our citizens are doing their part. So it takes all of us, and it is going to be a problem, until we address making sure that we are spaying and neutering animals. There's, like I said, there's a lot to cover when we're talking about issues, but what I've done is I always prepare, I do my homework and I take them on issue by issue as they come and so but I am actively moving to make sure that we're addressing those needs.
BB: This race will look familiar to a lot of voters in District 1, having run against your opponent, Pat Kelly four years ago-
CMG: He ran against me.
BB: Ran against you. Have you learned anything since that time that's affected your platform and how you're campaigning this year?
CMG: One of the things is, it's always important to make sure that we're providing the correct information, because it's very easy for folks to get distracted by misinformation. And so one of the things, I'm a person of my word. There's people that talk about stuff, but action wise, I am engaged in this community. I believe if there's an issue, you need to be part of the solution. And I have actively been part of the solution, and then some. Because quality of life is so important for this community, but we want to make sure that safety is a part of that, that they can go to bed and not worry that, you know, our city is not going to fall apart. And so for me, making sure that we're putting the information out, but actually demonstrating things happening.
And you know, one of the things that my opponent has talked about has been infrastructure. And I can cite examples – even looking out the window, that water tower north of your station is one of the examples on how committed I've been with water issues. I think I've been one of the council members that has really taken the lead in making sure that we're staying on top of that. It's so important. And like I said, I want to just make sure that we're providing the right information and following through, but also letting folks know that things take… It's a process. I would love to just go in there and do what we got to do, but we also have to be mindful of your property rights, of your property, of your home, of your family. So we have to be very mindful and follow the process so that it doesn't come back and hurt us as a community or as citizens.
BB: Development has been one of the more contentious issues for Lubbock and for District 1, especially. How do you balance the need for growth and updated infrastructure with preserving a neighborhood in its history? North Lubbock is some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.
CMG: It is, but I think, for a very long time, and this is a sad part, is I inherited some stuff, and we all have anybody that has served in this particular District 1, we have inherited issues that were out of our control. But just to give you an example, I had streets which had not been maintained. They hadn't had street maintenance in 30 and 40 years. Guess what? It happened. And one of the first things that I did when I came into council is that I made it a point to meet with departments where I saw very serious issues: code enforcement, streets, water, all these different departments, and they appreciated that I took the time to learn their needs and some of the issues that they had had in our district, and then I've worked with them, because I think that's the key. People don't realize, I think our most significant asset is the people that work for us. They are ready and willing and knowledgeable, and that type of experience is so necessary when you're trying to address a growing city that has issues along the way.
And so I think addressing things like that, also the infrastructure for water, sewer lines. That is something that, not only are we addressing it for now, but we're also looking at it for the future. I also heard, you know, ‘There's patches all over the place.’ Well, I hate to tell you, but that's part of street maintenance. And so every 10 years, each neighborhood is supposed to get street maintenance. It doesn't always happen – as I explained to you just a while ago – but when it does, it really makes you feel as a neighbor like, ‘Wow, my tax dollars are being used for us, for for my community, for my neighborhood.’ And I think that's really important.
But the other thing that I always tell the community, we do have limited staff. One of the things that is important: when you see something, you have to say something. We don't have cameras watching every part of the neighborhoods. So when you see a street light go out, we have this amazing app called My LBK. You download it. You see that street light, you take a picture of it, and then you upload it, and within days, it'll get fixed. Plus, for me, I always tell folks, it's also documenting the issue, so if it doesn't get fixed, and then you can say, ‘Well, on this day I did this, and on this day I did that.’ And that's where I step in, I'm like, ‘Folks, let's get this fixed.’ And so I think it's important that we're part of the solution, and that we're getting involved and making sure that we are connecting with our citizens. And you know, that's why I have been so accessible, that's why I have been so transparent.
And also, you know, not only do I do all of that, but I have perfect attendance on the Lubbock City Council. In four years, I've not missed a meeting. That's not an easy thing to say. I'm the only council person that can say that. The other thing is, I'm at neighborhood association meetings. I mean, we get this one neighborhood association called North Lubbock Neighborhood Association, every month they meet, and they get about 40 to 50 people from the area that come in, and we have amazing speakers, and we address issues, and I always get to give them an update on things happening in our communities. I think those types of things are important.
BB: You talked about the street maintenance, and I know there's a lot of people who have felt sort of overlooked out on the northern edge of the city, still dealing with some unpaved roads and things like that. Is this something you're continuing to work toward?
CMG: Oh, absolutely. And here's the other part. As a council member, we have a thing called CIPs [Capital Improvement Projects]. So when they did the road bonds — and see that's the other thing, everything has its purpose. The road bonds, they're not really addressing this district, although we're going to have Broadway, that's going to be redone from Avenue Q to Avenue E, we have had some streets. Remember, I appoint folks to sit on the committee that are in the neighborhood, that can give their input. Sometimes I think they're a little bit outweighed by other areas, but they're able to see that. And so I have to be really careful. Do we work on putting road bond dollars in neighborhoods where we're limited, or do we continue to target street maintenance dollars? And that's what I've done. I have, in the last four years, not including the Broadway that's about to come, but we've invested $14 million dollars, and we've had projects in neighborhoods. We had an area from 34th, to 50th Street that got addressed. We're doing rebuilds, we're doing street maintenance. So that's a big thing.
And I think my opponent mentioned that that's only $3 million something like per year. And the thing is that there is very limited street maintenance dollars in the city budget. So for us to be getting almost 4 million or 3 million per year, that's very significant. That is demonstrating that I'm doing my job, because we divide about 14 million in a year. And the city council has committed that every year we add a little bit more, so maybe a million dollars more, and it is one of the issues that drives me crazy, but it is something that we are constantly working on.
BB: District 1 also has a lot of the city's industry, but just in the last couple weeks across the city, we've seen two industrial accidents that have made the local headlines, and over the years, things like gas leaks have affected residents. Obviously, elected officials talk about the safety of residents and workers in the city, but what role can the city play when it comes to accountability with some of the city's industries?
CMG: Well, here's the thing, is that we have a lot of – we're working with OSHA, different groups like that. So your focus is not – obviously, we do what we're supposed to, locally, we have all these things in place, but state and national, we also have to make sure that we're holding them accountable, because that's really where a lot of that policy is placed. It's our job to also stay – you know, we have to make sure that we're holding them accountable, so that we as a community can assure our citizens that they're going to be safe.
Now, we have TCEQ, and I think there's a group of citizens that are addressing an issue. When you are part of the city, we're here to make sure that we're offering the tools and doing our due diligence. But it's great when we see citizens doing their part, because really, you live in that neighborhood, you know best about your neighborhood. So to see that involvement, I applaud them. I think that's important, and so I have to support it in that capacity. But for us to be asked… of course, we can write letters and we can be present, but it really is up – I believe, I think it's, it's called the iron rule: don't do for others what they can do for themselves. It's a very significant role when people are organizing, and I think that is very important to anything that we're taking on day by day.
And then I just want to also say that, in North Lubbock, we're focusing on with LEDA [Lubbock Economic Development Alliance] on an industrial park so that we can move things out, so they can get away from the community. But in the growth of the city, just keep in mind that before Arnett Benson probably was one of the newer neighborhoods. Then 4th Street came, and then the issues became about 19th Street, then 34th, and 50th. And now we're like way out southwest Lubbock, and it's going to continue to grow. And what we have also done is we've grown around this, some of the industrial facilities that exist. But it is a constant thing that we hold them accountable and that our citizens also do their part to make sure that they're being heard. So I appreciate when people organize.
BB: Data centers have been a big concern for many West Texans, about the resources that they could use. We’re still learning a lot about the actual impact they can have on cities specifically.
CMG: Exactly.
BB: In January, a center was proposed, that idea was eventually rejected. And I believe that was going in in District 2?
CMG: District 1.
BB: Was it District 1?
CMG: It was in District 1. And let me just tell you this, I had the opportunity to meet with these folks before anybody did. And I thought it was very important. One of the things that I have expressed to our LEDA folks is ‘Vet these folks thoroughly.’ When I met with this company, they didn't have all the answers to my questions. And I think that's very important, that we're vetting these folks, that they have a clear plan and understanding of what they want to do, but of what we're limited on what we can do. Obviously, I am never going to allow our district to be taken advantage of, as well as our city. We don't need to do that.
What did I tell you earlier? It's so important for me to protect Lubbock's water. You know, we do have a 100 water year plan, but it takes more than that. We have to make sure that whenever LEDA is looking for business to come into this area, that they're also very mindful, and they know that we have that understanding protect our water, because everybody wants it, as you well know. But it is important that I'm staying on top of this and data centers, as you mentioned, there's still a lot of unknowns. One thing I read recently is that they're starting to have issues because a lot of the equipment that they use is overseas, and you see what's happening on a national, international front. That is definitely something that is going to impact them as well. So, but for me, it's important that we're taking care of our environment, our ecology, that our water is very coveted and protected. It was explained to me that District 1 and 2 are in the line of ERCOT lines. I don't care. And I said, ‘Well, when are you going to put ERCOT lines in the other parts of the town? Because, you know, nobody wants it in their backyard.
It's always easy to say, well, let's put it in District 1. And we actually had a citizen say recently about another issue is he said, ‘Well, put it in 1 and 2 where it belongs.’ And he said other things. But I was very disappointed that that's the mentality of some folks. We can't continue to take all the industry. We can't continue to take all the things they don't want in our neighborhoods. This is a city that is growing in every direction. Put some of that growth in other parts of town.
BB: That's actually a great transition into the next subject I wanted to bring up. Last year, the city worked through a shortage in sales taxes and the impact fees that were instituted a few years ago were reduced to zero. You actually voted-
CMG: Not by my choice!
BB: You voted against that. You voted against that reduction.
CMG: No, no, I voted that we sustain impact fees. That's how I voted. They voted to do away with impact fees.
BB: Well, you've described impact fees as a tool in the toolbox for making sure that the growth affects all parts of the city.
CMG: And per demand.
BB: Would you propose something that reinstates this and if not impact fees, what reliable tools can we use to ensure that older parts of town are still affected?
CMG: Absolutely. Well, the thing is, the impact fees don't always benefit. It benefits the area and where there is growth and where there is a demand. So it would not impact us. However, you know road bonds, it's like I mentioned: when talking about tools, that's one tool that fits that need. Road bonds are another tool that fits that need. And we're likely going to see more of those. For me, again, you've got those street maintenance dollars.
I know one of the concerns from my opponent is that my focus is Lubbock as a whole. Well, guess what? What happens in district any other, impacts District 1. And when I don't have a seat at the table and things are happening around us, it affects District 1. And when I'm not being loud and speaking out, it affects District 1. And who does that infect? Ultimately? It impacts my constituents. So all these other things, I don't feel that it's our responsibility to pay for new development happening in other areas, but I will say this growth is happening in every direction in Lubbock, Texas.
It has been hard to manage. Sales tax are such an important part for the City of Lubbock. We need those dollars so that we can meet that growth and so that we don't have to keep putting everything off on the citizens. But when there's development happening, we need that group to do their part, and I feel like they have. This is an issue that I think still needs to be addressed. And you know, we've seen what our council thinks. And I heard from another individual that had some great input, he's a developer himself, and they're experiencing the toughness of this market. And I thought one of his proposals was very interesting, and it's definitely something that I hope that we can visit later on. But right now, I need to make sure that people get out to the polls and vote for me, because I have the knowledge, I have the experience, I've been present, I'm showing up. And we need to make sure that we continue to do that for our community. Otherwise, once again, we will be left out of a lot of these conversations. We will not have representation. And so therefore, I think it's important that we have someone that is committed beyond the $25 a month. Because that's not important to me. What's important to me is my neighbors, is my family that live in my district, is the community at large.
BB: But one of the side effects with those impact fees was the incentive that was created when you have lower rates in areas of town that need new building-
CMG: Yes. Yes. Which we saw with Leprino. Leprino is an example where that helped. We had to have a road that was placed on 19th because people were coming and going working. So that's an example of how we would use those types of fees. And I think that's a positive thing. So they do come in, but it's not like that often that we see something like that. But definitely, I think it's something that we need to have that dialogue again, because I think everything is negotiable, and I don't think that was an option for all of our councils, so hopefully it's something that we can bring back in the near future.
BB: One of the hard things with our municipal elections is budget season is coming up very quickly. Right after the votes. Have you thought about what you'll be prioritizing for this year's proposals if you were to be reelected?
CMG: Well, you continue to hear how important streets are. It is important because we need to continue to improve the conditions of the roads in our neighborhoods. The other part is public safety. And I think we had that conversation about how people constantly want to make sure that if they have an issue, there's going to be somebody there to come and support them. Of course, our fire department recently had a [Class] 1 ISO [Insurance Service Office] rating. So for all of our residents, that's a great thing, because that will be a reduction, possibly in their insurance.
So that's wonderful, but we need to continue to improve quality of life. I've had some folks say, ‘We need more improvements.’ We have programs that we use through CDBG [Community Development Block Grant Programs], and we actually finally got those dollars in District 1, and not just CDBG funds, but others. So we need to continue to address that. You've got some homes and some families that fall through the cracks when it comes to being able to have a good quality of life. So we need to make sure that we're there to address that for them. And so we have those programs, but what it takes is, even through the neighborhood association, we offered more than one time where community development came and updated us on what you had to do to prepare, apply. And so we did all of that, and we continue to do that, because we're committed to them.
The other thing, I think, besides quality of life, infrastructure, public safety: water will continue to be an issue. We all have to make sure that we are doing our part, and we have, thank you, citizens. We have done that responsibly, but we need to continue to address that, because it's very important that we're all doing our part for that.
And then the other part, I think, you know, we need to make sure that we get public engagement. You know, I'm involved. We need you to step up a little bit. Here's how you can do that: obviously, we have boards and commissions. We need representation. As I mentioned to you, when you have people in these neighborhoods, we need to hear their perspective at the table. I think that's so, so important. And then the other part, as I mentioned, the app. Utilize that app, come to the different things that we're having. If you're not able to come to a city council meeting, you can submit your information, or you can watch online. There's so many alternatives, and I really feel like we're going to continue to offer those alternatives to the community.
I know that people have talked about wanting a swimming pool. It always comes up, it’s like no matter where I go. But let me tell you that one of the things that I am going to be proposing is a quality of life bond. I think that that's really important. We do need a year round aquatic center, although a lot of homes now have put in their own. They have their own little above ground pool, which that's my preference. I like privacy. But that's become a very common thing. And those pools were almost 70 years old. You could see the age. But the thing is, we need new. You know? Every neighborhood needs new. Some neighborhoods don't have parks. I want to make sure that our parks are well-maintained. Some of the things that I'm seeing now, we're working on a futsal – Do you know what that is? A futsal court? It's a soccer court. So we're going to be making some updates in the area where our splash pad is. And I am so excited, because we're moving with the times, and we're addressing the needs and the wants of the community. And we've done it in the past with ARPA funds. But now we need to make sure that we are injecting these types of things into the neighborhoods so that families feel like they're seeing things happening. And we have made that.
Of course, we have a planning meeting. You know, we're doing some different neighborhoods from the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and so we're always working to get input. And on Thursday, we're going to be talking about assets, and so the public can come and be a part of that dialogue and conversation. But that's the key, is that you have to be involved and engaged; again, use the tools. And always, you know, I tell people all the time, send me an email, call me. We have staff. I will help, and we will address what we can. But also know that I'm not just sitting on my hands doing nothing. I'm working very hard for my community, and if my knowledge doesn't demonstrate that I have been actively involved, let me assure you that it is something that I take – I mean, it is, it's important. But the other part is, you know, we've got some community centers I am trying to, with this quality of life bond, is address them before they fall apart on us. We can't keep band-aiding. We need to be updating. And I think that's – or building something new – in this case, that's not what I want to see. I think we just need to really give some maintenance and fill the needs of the people that are utilizing it.
BB: One last question we like to ask city elected officials. Working on the council, going through the election process, you often get involved with people that you disagree with. There can be contention with this stuff. But is there an example of the time in your years of service, that you heard someone you disagreed with and changed your mind on something?
CMG: Absolutely, I have a great example of that! Lots of them. But here's the thing. First of all, I'm known for doing my homework, and as someone that is in the media, I believe that I have been very objective. I take on those issues one by one. Sometimes at the time, and sometimes when I hear the misinformation, it's – I just feel like it's my obligation to correct it, especially when they don't see everything that happens in the background. I mean, I definitely feel like we have had some issues with, you know, the development happening in neighborhoods. I often hear people say, ‘We don't have this in North Lubbock. We don't have that.’ Or the other day at the neighborhood association, someone told one of the Code Enforcement persons, ‘Well, I bet if this was in South Lubbock, you wouldn't be doing this.’ But here's what they are doing: what they are doing is that they follow, when – you know how I said, ‘if you see something, say something,’ – they contact or they follow the app or the website, or they submit their information, so we can address that kind of stuff. And having done a ride-along with code enforcement, I can tell you that we also have to protect the public's property rights. When I did that drive along, I was like, ‘Well, what about that one? For sure, that is a code violation.’ Nope. Oh my God. And he, it was Stuart from Code Enforcement, explained to me why it wasn't. Went to, drove by the next house. ‘What about that one?’ Nope. And ‘Well, can't we do this?’ Nope. The homeowner has lots of rights. And so I think that, for me, are some examples of, we have to be very mindful of all of the process. When I talk about process all the time, because you just think, ‘I can just blink my eyes and it's going to change,’ but it doesn't. It takes time because we are following, making sure that everybody is protected here, and that we're doing everything legally.
But it's, it's always disappointing when you hear, ‘Well, in South Lubbock, they have this.’ And little do they know we've worked so – I think we even put more time into addressing some issues in North Lubbock. I can tell you that our code enforcement folks, they know neighbors, they know— Animal Services knows the names of dogs. That's how involved we are in our district. So I definitely feel like that, to me, is disappointing when you hear those types of things and when you've given your time, and you've dedicated to making sure that we don't have that image.
Here's the other thing that I think is important that I share with you. One day, we did a forum, and all I heard was all the negatives about Lubbock, Texas. And I was disappointed, and I had to say something, ‘Let's talk about all the good things happening in the city.’ There's so much good stuff happening in Lubbock, Texas. It's unreal. The growth being the first thing you can actually see stuff happening. I know there was, when I talked about streets, I'm talking about Lubbock streets, but we also have to talk about partnerships. So 19th, now that it's completed, guess what? It now will belong to the City of Lubbock. Why didn't we take it before? Because we asked them before we take on that street, we need you to rebuild and redo and do everything that you have to so that it does not – we don't incur all those problems, and it's been done. So what do you think happened? Now I hear complaints, ‘Well, that wasn't, y'all’s.’ It wasn't, but it is now. And it is a street that we don't have to do all that street maintenance to and rebuild. So I think that's the type of stuff that we always have to overcome. There's a lot of great things happening. And I really wish that people would see all the – look outside your window right now. We're looking from the sixth floor at the Bank of America building. What a view. And I think that is positive. Even that water tower, to some it might not be significant, but it is doing its purpose, and it has a double-T on it, which is the best part. But what it's also done, it has not just for Arnett Benson, but for the entire District 1 area, it's improving our water pressure, and it's pretty much already paid for itself, and that's the best part. So we're very mindful.
And the other part that I want to just say is the public is always invited and encouraged to provide input. You can come to a council meeting. You can go to Planning and Zone – all the meetings that we have are open to you, because that is very important that you engage. You can always call your council representative. You can go to neighborhood meetings. You can just, there's so many ways for us to take your input, but you have to take the first step and do it.
BB: Christy Martinez-Garcia, incumbent candidate for District 1 city council representative.
CMG: With perfect attendance and lots of commitment!
BB: Thank you so much for sitting down with me.
CMG: Thank you so much. It's been a great afternoon.