LUBBOCK, Texas — EverythingLubbock.com recently looked into the current tax rates from the City of Lubbock, Lubbock County, Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD and Lubbock-Cooper. Here’s what we’ve found.
After House Bill 3 was passed in 2019 and signed by Governor Greg Abbott, it provided more money for Texas classrooms, increased teacher compensation, reduced recapture and cut local property taxes for Texas taxpayers, according to the Texas Education Agency website.
Even if tax rates drop, the overall tax bill can still go up because of the impact of rising appraisal values — sometimes referred to as appraisal creep.
“So, part of House Bill 3 included a compression of our tax rate. And we are excited to do this for our property owners in the Lubbock ISD,” said Lubbock ISD Superintendent Dr. Kathy Rollo in Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
| Lubbock ISD | Rate | Avg. Value | Tax Bill |
| Last Year | 1.235 | $110,600 | $1,365.91 |
| Proposed/Anticipated | 1.165 | $114,741 | $1,336.73 |
| Difference | -0.07 | $4,141 | Down $29.18 |
Now that HB3 has gone into effect, Rollo said this allowed Lubbock ISD to drop its tax rate seven cents per $100.
Frenship and Lubbock-Cooper ISD also dropped their tax rates by seven cents per $100 for residents living in those school districts, according to the Lubbock County Central Appraisal District.
But even when rates go down, tax valuations on average go up. For Lubbock ISD, the rate reduction is enough to offset rising valuations. Not so for other entities that were analyzed by EverythingLubbock.com.
| Frenship ISD | Rate | Avg. Value | Tax Bill |
| Last Year | 1.49 | $158,423 | $2,360.50 |
| Proposed/Anticipated | 1.42 | $166,634 | $2,366.20 |
| Difference | -0.07 | $8,211 | Up $5.70 |
| Lubbock-Cooper | Rate | Avg. Value | Tax Bill |
| Last Year | 1.54 | $217,500 | $3,349.50 |
| Proposed/Anticipated | 1.47 | $227,983 | $3,351.35 |
| Difference | -0.07 | $10,483 | Up $1.85 |
Where does the city and county come in? They are both still relevant, because they still contribute to the overall bill.
The city tax rate is proposed to go up one penny per hundred, but that decision is not yet final. The county tax rate is proposed to remain the same – but likewise that decision is not yet final.
| City of Lubbock | Rate | Avg. Value | Tax Bill |
| Last Year | 0.54802 | $147,226 | $806.83 |
| Proposed/Anticipated | 0.55802 | $152,782 | $852.55 |
| Difference | 0.01 | $5,556 | Up $45.73 |
| Lubbock County | Rate | Avg. Value | Tax Bill |
| Last Year | 0.348086 | $144,267 | $502.17 |
| Proposed/Anticipated | 0.348086 | $150,852 | $525.09 |
| Difference | 0 | $6,585 | Up $22.92 |
The tax bill for the city will, on average, go up more than $45 in the coming year based on numbers supplied by the city and LCAD. The county’s difference is, on average, projected to go up $22.92 because of the impact of rising appraisal values — sometimes referred to as appraisal creep.
The city will have open hearings for the discussion of the proposed tax rate and encourages the public to attend on these dates.
- August 27, 4:30 p.m. at 1625 13th St.
- September 4, 8:00 a.m. at 1625 13th St.
County Commissioners Court will hold two public hearings set for 10:30 a.m. on August 26 and September 3.
CLICK HERE to see the average taxable valuations for various taxing entities in Lubbock County as provided by the LCAD.
