Local Government

The Lubbock County Elections Office received a backlog of more than 7,500 voter registrations due to a technical error with the Department of Public Safety's online registration portal. Lubbock County’s new Elections Administrator, Troy Havard, assures voters the backlog will not delay or affect anyone’s ability to vote in the November general election when early voting begins on Oct. 19.

Lubbock’s city council passed a resolution on Tuesday initiating the procedure to adopt a 90-day pause on the development of any large-scale data centers. The council will need to hold two public hearings before the moratorium can officially begin.

Yesterday, Lubbock City Council passed a 90-day moratorium on the acceptance or approval of large-scale data center developments in the city. Citizens had petitioned for an 18-month moratorium, which failed without a second. Petition organizer Stephen Sanders says he does not plan on moving to put the extended moratorium on the ballot before voters. The council also approved an agreement that will bring a new public health staffer to Lubbock, funded by the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, Dr. Katherine Wells and her department were recognized by the Texas Immunization Partnership for the coordination and vaccine access they provided during the 2025 measles outbreak.

In the Lubbock County Commissioner’s Court meeting yesterday, commissioners voted 3 to 1 to support an independent state investigation into the county dollars paid to Mark Meurer. The nonbinding resolution was intended to “express support” for the Lubbock County District Attorney's request of an independent investigation by the Texas Rangers. Lubbock Fire and Rescue were called Friday to help a child who was trapped by a collapsed cave at Lake Alan Henry. The child was safely removed and evaluated by Garza County EMS.

At their meeting this morning, Lubbock County Commissioners are expected to discuss whether to support an independent investigation by the Texas Rangers into “payroll irregularities." Texas is limiting the expansion of Flock license plate cameras, amid a growing national backlash over privacy and misuse concerns. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports on funding for the cameras. Road construction will be starting today as part of the Broadway Street Reconstruction Project and is planned to finish by Dec. 1.

Lubbock County Commissioners considered a resolution Monday supporting an independent investigation into 'payroll irregularities' for the Precinct 2 seat. While the resolution passed, it was not without contention, as members of the court and the district attorney pointed out that the investigation is happening with or without the commissioners' support.

Next week, the Lubbock County Commissioners Court will be deciding whether to support a state investigation into “apparent payroll irregularities” for the Precinct 2 Commissioner. Our Brad Burt explains what we know so far and what the next steps are. Lubbock residents are invited to attend Coffee with the Mayor this evening at 5:30pm at Citizens Tower, located at 1314 Avenue K.

This week, Lubbock's City Council said it would not consider any large-scale data center projects until regulations have been adopted to protect city residents and resources. Two days later, the Planning and Zoning Commission saw a presentation of potential requirements for developers, but members of the board said the proposal needs more work.

Yesterday, Lubbock’s Planning and Zoning Commission heard a proposal to add new regulations for potential large-scale data center developments within city limits. The presentation comes after a meeting earlier this week, where city council members spoke on what they want to see before considering any data center projects. No recommendations were adopted at this time and the vote was rescheduled to Nov. 5.

This week, Lubbock City Council heard from the police department on the use of Flock cameras, of which there are currently 10 in operation with six more awaiting approval from TxDOT. Our Brad Burt reports that Lubbock Police chief Seth Herman defended the department’s use of these cameras. You can find LPD's Transparency Portal provided by Flock Safety here.