Local Government

The City of Lubbock recently launched new performance metrics on its website, providing data, goals, and progress updates from various departments. And by the end of the month, the city will have a full redesigned website, with a focus on user experience and accessibility.

The City of Lubbock recently launched new performance metrics on its website, providing data, goals, and progress updates from various departments. Our Samantha Larned reports more changes are coming to the city's website later this month. Included in Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows' priorities for House committees is studying the “constitutional, statutory, fiscal, and economic implications” of bringing New Mexico border counties to the state of Texas. Experts say it's possible, but would require consent from various governing bodies.

Lubbock City Council has approved June 27 as the date for the District 4 special election. Early voting will run June 15-23. Following a New York Times report outlining years of alleged sexual harassment and abuse from Cesar Chavez, KERA's Bill Zeeble explains Texas Education Agency is directing public schools to eliminate lessons and references to the late union organizer. Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer is hosting Coffee with the Mayor in District 2 tomorrow. The event starts 7 a.m. tomorrow at the Mae Simmons Community Center.

Lubbock City Council saw a presentation yesterday from Lubbock Public Health on services and expenses for patients who are not Lubbock County residents. Our Samantha Larned reports the information was requested in relation to the approval of the latest iteration of a long-standing referral agreement with a substance use treatment center in Plainview. And last night, District 4 representative Brayden Rose announced his resignation from the Lubbock City Council.

According to the City of Lubbock, the City Council will set a special election date at its next regular meeting. Rose will remain until his successor is elected.

Last month, Lubbock County Commissioners passed an amendment to the game room ordinance which went into effect in May 2025. Our Brad Burt reports that one Lubbock game room owner has filed a lawsuit, claiming the new rules are unenforceable under the Texas and U.S. Constitutions. The U.S.-Israeli war in the middle east is influencing gas prices in Texas. Prices for regular unleaded gas in Lubbock increased by about 40 cents over the last week, according to AAA.

Lubbock County saw historic 23% voter turnout for the joint primary election – more than 30,000 early voters and an additional more than 15,000 in-person on Election Day. It was a packed ballot for Republican and Democratic voters alike and our reporter Samantha Larned breaks down county offices which will return to ballots for runoff elections on May 26.

Along with statewide and federal races, Lubbock County has several of its own offices headed for runoff elections in May for voters to make the final determination on nominees for the general election.

Yesterday, Lubbock County officially opened its new Medical Examiner’s Office, bringing death investigations back to Lubbock after years of outsourcing autopsies. Officials gathered in the panhandle this week for the anniversary of the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history. The 2025 legislative session passed several improvements to the state’s wildfire preparedness, but our Brad Burt reports that lawmakers say the work is not yet done.

Avian flu continues to spread among wild birds in and around Lubbock, with hundreds of dead geese collected in recent weeks, including near local lakes and water treatment facilities. Our reporter Bishop van Buren has more on the outbreak from Lubbock City Manager Jarrett Atkinson. New data finds that around 71,000 immigrants are being held in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention as of the end of January. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports the data shows around 74% of the detainees have no criminal conviction.