Lubbock County officials officially broke ground on a road project years in the making Monday afternoon.

County commissioners, golden shovels in hand, turned ceremonial dirt on the first phase of the Woodrow Road improvement project, a $77 million expansion of the road approved by Lubbock County voters in 2019.

Construction on the first phase of the two-phase project began in late October and is expected to be complete by the fall of 2026, according to county officials. The Texas Department of Transportation will execute this first phase of the project with The Woodlands-based general contractor Webber, LLC for about $38 million.

Phase one of the project stretches from U.S. 87 to Indiana Avenue, passing in front of Lubbock-Cooper High School, and will convert 2.5 miles of Woodrow Road (also known as County Road 7600) from a two-lane county road to a five-lane thoroughfare.

Phase two, which is expected to commence in fall 2024, will similarly convert the remaining 2 miles at a cost of around $28 million.

"What we will get in the end is what I hope to be, and what we're planning to be, one of the great arterials in this community that will serve the needs of the people of Lubbock County for the next 30 to 40 years," County Judge Curtis Parrish said at the ceremony Monday.

Keith Bryant, superintendent of Lubbock-Cooper ISD, said more than 4,000 students, teachers and staff members travel down Woodrow Road every day to access three of the district's schools within the project area.

"While it's been a long time coming and there's been a lot of emphasis over the years on the safety out here, we know that better days are ahead," Bryant said. "The district is excited as we continue to grow, and growth continues to be on the horizon, and to have a five-lane thoroughfare that will serve the needs of our community for a long time is very, very much appreciated."

Parrish urged motorists to be extra cautious as construction ramps up and continues in the coming years.

"During our time that we're under construction, we want to ask that you pay attention to the yellow cones, and to our guys here in the in the orange vests," Parrish said.

"Sometimes there's a little growing pain as we deal with the construction," the judge added. "Traffic will have to be slower, so if you're used to a certain amount of time getting from your house, maybe down to the high school or some other places along Woodrow Road, give yourself plenty of time during this construction phase."

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Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'AAA' rating based on the Texas Permanent School Fund (PSF) guarantee and a 'AA' underlying rating to the following Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District, Texas unlimited tax (ULT) bonds:

--$63.47 million ULT school building bonds series 2022.

In addition, Fitch has affirmed the following district ratings at 'AA':

--Issuer Default Rating (IDR);

--More than $400 million in outstanding ULT bonds.

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

The bonds are expected to be sold on a negotiated basis on or around Aug. 24. Proceeds will be used to finance various district capital improvements.

SECURITY

The bonds are payable from an unlimited property tax levied against all taxable property within the district and are further backed by a guarantee from the Texas Permanent School Fund (PSF) bond guarantee program. A change in Fitch's 'AAA' assessment of the PSF bond guarantee program would automatically result in a change in the PSF rating of Lubbock-Cooper ISD's series 2022 ULT bonds and outstanding PSF-guaranteed ULT bonds. For more information on the PSF, see "Fitch Affirms Texas PSF Rating at 'AAA'; Outlook Stable," published Jan. 5, 2022 and available at www.fitchratings.com.

ANALYTICAL CONCLUSION

The 'AA' IDR and ULT rating reflect the district's strong operating performance and ability to manage rapid enrollment growth. Facility capacity needs may cause long-term liabilities to rise in the near term, although Fitch believes the liabilities will remain a moderate burden on resources which also rise with population gains. Strong residential growth is likely to continue through the medium term, driving revenue growth through enrollment gains and concomitant pupil-based state funding.

Economic Resource Base

The district has an estimated population of over 45,000 and serves the southern portion of the city of Lubbock (GO bonds rated AA+/Stable by Fitch) and the unincorporated community of Woodrow. The district is experiencing fast population growth, leading to rapid enrollment gains. The five-year compound average growth rate (CAGR) through 2021 was 4.5% for average daily attendance and 11% for taxable assessed value (TAV).

KEY RATING DRIVERS

Revenue Framework: 'a'

Revenue growth has been strong, in excess of the national GDP and CPI during the 10-year period ending in 2021. Growth over the next several years will likely mirror this trend given the expectation of solid tax base and enrollment gains. As is the case with most school districts, Lubbock-Cooper ISD's independent legal ability to raise revenues is limited by state law.

Expenditure Framework: 'aa'

Fitch expects spending growth to remain in line with revenue growth, reflecting operating costs for new schools. State support for retiree benefits helps keep the fixed-cost burden moderate, which, along with the flexible labor framework results in solid expenditure flexibility.

Long-Term Liability Burden: 'aa'

Fitch estimates long-term liabilities to be a moderate burden on resources at 16% of resident personal income, partly due to above-average income metrics. Additional debt plans to address growth-related capital needs may increase the burden on resources somewhat, but Fitch expects levels to remain in the moderate range due to continued growth in the resource base and the district's adherence to the 50-cent debt service rate cap for new issuances.

Operating Performance: 'aaa'

Fitch expects high reserve levels relative to low expected revenue volatility and midrange budget flexibility will enable the district to maintain a sustained healthy financial position through economic cycles. Conservative budgeting practices have helped management navigate the recent rapid growth.

RATING SENSITIVITIES

Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade:

--A sustained decline in the long-term liability burden at or below 10% of personal income.

Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade:

--A severe and prolonged decline in the rate of enrollment growth -- a principal driver for state funding;

--Sizable and continual declines in operating reserves, weakening the district's financial flexibility;

--Sustained increase in the long-term liability burden in excess of 20% personal income.

BEST/WORST CASE RATING SCENARIO

International scale credit ratings of Sovereigns, Public Finance and Infrastructure issuers have a best-case rating upgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a positive direction) of three notches over a three-year rating horizon; and a worst-case rating downgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a negative direction) of three notches over three years. The complete span of best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings for all rating categories ranges from 'AAA' to 'D'. Best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings are based on historical performance. For more information about the methodology used to determine sector-specific best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings, visit https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/10111579.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

While many districts experienced declines or slowdowns in student enrollment as a result of the pandemic, Lubbock-Cooper ISD continued to register enrollment gains. Average daily attendance (ADA) in fiscal 2021 was 6,839, reflecting an increase of 5.4% (or 343 students) from the prior year. Based on demographic projections, management expects the district to realize an enrollment increase of 300 to 400 students annually over the next five to seven years. According to officials, the district is not expected to reach buildout for well over a decade.

Like many school districts, the district is eligible for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, codified as ESSER I, ESSER II and ESSER III funds. Per management, the ESSER I and II funds were largely used to for one-time expenditures. According to representatives, of the district's $3.4 million ESSER III allocation, approximately $1 million remains unspent. Over the next 12 to 18 months, management expects to use the remaining allocation to finance nonrecurring needs, including but not limited to learning loss/intervention programs.

The district has ended the past several fiscal years with an unrestricted general fund balance that accounts for no less than 15% of operating expenditures. At the close of fiscal 2021, the district posted about a $4 million surplus, net of transfers, and its available fund balance totaled $21 million, or 34% of general fund expenditures. Officials adopted a balanced budget for fiscal 2022, and management expects fiscal 2022 audited results to reflect at least a $3 million operating surplus.

The district's fiscal 2023 adopted budget reflects a $2 million deficit. While the district's year-end results are typically better-than-budgeted, even if the $2 million deficit were fully realized, unrestricted reserves would still account for a strong 31% of general fund expenditures. Fitch expects the district will continue to prudently manage its costs in order to maintain operating performance that is consistent with the current rating.

In November 2021, voters authorized a $420 million bond package to support the district's growth. After this issuance, the district will have approximately $300 million in authorized, but unissued debt remaining. District representatives have confirmed that the district will issue the remaining authorization incrementally over the next several years. The district's fiscal 2021 debt service tax rate is at the statutory new money issuance limit of $0.50 per $100 TAV. Future tranches from the most recent bond election will be issued as tax base growth can support the additional debt.

CREDIT PROFILE

Lubbock-Cooper ISD's tax base and enrollment growth trends have been very strong. Despite slower-than-normal enrollment growth for many school districts, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the district has experienced sizable gains in its student population each year for the past decade. The five-year CAGR for average daily attendance, a key driver of state funding, was 5.2% for the period ending in fiscal 2020 and 4.5% for the period ending in fiscal 2021.

Since fiscal 2019, TAV has increased by more than 50% to $5.1 billion in fiscal 2023. The district's continued growth prospects are strong given the availability and affordability of land and continued developer interest in the district, as evidenced by the pace of housing starts. Management indicates that there are several residential subdivisions underway and forthcoming.

In addition to the sources of information identified in Fitch's applicable criteria specified below, this action was informed by information from Lumesis.

REFERENCES FOR SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIAL SOURCE CITED AS KEY DRIVER OF RATING

The principal sources of information used in the analysis are described in the Applicable Criteria.

ESG CONSIDERATIONS

Unless otherwise disclosed in this section, the highest level of ESG credit relevance is a score of '3'. This means ESG issues are credit-neutral or have only a minimal credit impact on the entity, either due to their nature or the way in which they are being managed by the entity. For more information on Fitch's ESG Relevance Scores, visit www.fitchratings.com/esg.

PARTICIPATION STATUS

The rated entity (and/or its agents) or, in the case of structured finance, one or more of the transaction parties participated in the rating process except that the following issuer(s), if any, did not participate in the rating process, or provide additional information, beyond the issuer’s available public disclosure.

APPLICABLE CRITERIA

• U.S. Public Finance Tax-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 04 May 2021) (including rating assumption sensitivity)

APPLICABLE MODELS

Numbers in parentheses accompanying applicable model(s) contain hyperlinks to criteria providing description of model(s).

• FAST Econometric API - Fitch Analytical Stress Test Model, v3.0.0 (1)

ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES

• Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form
• Solicitation Status
• Endorsement Policy

ENDORSEMENT STATUS

DISCLAIMER & DISCLOSURES

All Fitch Ratings (Fitch) credit ratings are subject to certain limitations and disclaimers. Please read these limitations and disclaimers by following this link: https://www.fitchratings.com/understandingcreditratings. In addition, the following

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SOLICITATION STATUS

The ratings above were solicited and assigned or maintained by Fitch at the request of the rated entity/issuer or a related third party. Any exceptions follow below.

ENDORSEMENT POLICY

Fitch’s international credit ratings produced outside the EU or the UK, as the case may be, are endorsed for use by regulated entities within the EU or the UK, respectively, for regulatory purposes, pursuant to the terms of the EU CRA Regulation or the UK Credit Rating Agencies (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, as the case may be. Fitch’s approach to endorsement in the EU and the UK can be found on Fitch’s Regulatory Affairs page on Fitch’s website. The endorsement status of international credit ratings is provided within the entity summary page for each rated entity and in the transaction detail pages for structured finance transactions on the Fitch website. These disclosures are updated on a daily basis.

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As the design phase ends for the overhaul of Woodrow Road, Lubbock County Commissioners approved a $706,100 expense for work related to its intersection with County Road 2330, a corridor for Lubbock-Cooper ISD transportation and other travel.

“As we see the needs that are happening at Cooper, now is the time,” Judge Curtis Parrish said. “If we’re going to expand that and put in traffic lights in that area, now’s the time to do that. I know it was an additional $700,000, but by increasing it now, we’re going to save the county five years from now from having to go back and expand that with millions of dollars.”

The intersection of Woodrow Road and CR 2330 is to the south of Lubbock-Cooper High School. A traffic signal will be added to the intersection and a portion of CR 2330 will be widened to accommodate the LCISD bus facility, as well as the South Elementary and resident traffic.

“We want to make sure that our infrastructure is adequate to not just meet the growth, but get ahead of the growth,” Parrish said. “The worst thing we can do is build for today, and build for what we need today. We need to build for what we need 20 years from now. That’s how we effectively manage the growth.”

The Lubbock County Commissioner’s Court was told at its Monday meeting that federal and state dollars could not be used for CR 2330. Parrish said the funds would come from the road improvement bond money.

“The idea now is to make sure that when we start construction on Woodrow Road, that is the road that we need to carry Lubbock County for the next 20 to 25 years,” Parrish said.

Parrish says the design of the Woodrow Road project, which stretches from Highway 87 to Slide Road, was completed within the past few months. Now, the county is purchasing right-of-way. The Commissioner’s Court entered into an agreement with an attorney who specializes in such acquisitions, also on Monday.

“As soon as the right-of-way is purchased, we will be letting out the contracts for that road,” Parrish said. “We will go through the contract process of making sure that we’ve got our construction permits and everything done so that we can begin construction.”

Parrish expects the acquisition process to take through the early part of the summer.

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At their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, February 17, 2022, the Lubbock-Cooper ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to name the district’s second comprehensive high school Lubbock-Cooper Liberty High School. The Board also unanimously designated Patriots as the new school’s mascot, and red and navy as the school colors.

“This is a historic and exciting decision for our school district,” said LCISD Superintendent Keith Bryant. “The name Liberty is fitting for our school culture, which focuses on community, family, pride, and patriotism.”

LCISD is currently home to nine campuses: five elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one alternative high school. In May 2021, the district’s community voted in favor of an unprecedented $420 million bond to fund the construction of three campuses, among several other projects. The first of these campuses, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty High School, is set to open in fall 2023.

The LCISD Board of Trustees has spent the past three years conducting research on the impact and necessity of a second high school. In addition to several visits to school districts with two comprehensive high schools, board members gathered input from district stakeholders, including hundreds of students and numerous parent and guardian groups.

“We wanted to ensure that we made the decision that best serves our community,” said LCISD Board of Trustees President Paul Ehlers. “The determination to open a second high school was not taken lightly. Just as important is the representation of the school; the school name, mascot, and colors are very important to our community. Some of our most treasured values include service to community and country, pride in our district, state, and nation, and gratitude for the men and women who protect our freedom.”

Ehlers explained that, in addition to reinforcing district core values of pride and service to country, the high school name, mascot, and common color of red allows the district to retain its widely recognized logo, the red LCP.

“Our logo has become synonymous with excellence and trust. It is a reminder that we are a united community with the common goal of doing what is best for kids,” said Ehlers. “No matter what Lubbock-Cooper campus they are on or building they are in, our stakeholders can spot the LCP and know they are home.”

Bryant expressed a similar sentiment, and excitement for the construction and branding of the new campus.

“We are the Pirates, we are the Patriots, and, above all, we are the people of Lubbock-Cooper ISD,” said Bryant. “We are excited to continue building the future one student at a time, on our existing campuses and at Lubbock-Cooper Liberty High School.”

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Lubbock-Cooper ISD has broken ground on its second high school.

The ground breaking ceremony happened Thursday morning at the Northeast corner of Woodrow Rd. and Quaker Ave.

Superintendent Keith Bryant says the current high school will be at capacity next year but will see some relief with 22 additional classrooms being added. However, he says in two years the high school population is expected to increase from 2,000 to 2,400.

The new high school is funded through a bond passed in May.

The $420 million is for the second high school, a third middle school and a sixth elementary school.

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Despite the confusion on the Cooper Bond Bill broken into three propositions, as required by the Texas legislation, voters were in favor of the district’s additional funding proposal.

The Lubbock Cooper ISD’s Superintendent, Keith Bryant, explained what the district’s next steps are.

“Which is the construction of the second high school. That work will begin in the next month,” said Bryant.

The LCISD’s second high school will be located between Quaker Avenue and woodruff road. According to officials, the property for the institution has already been inquired about. The school is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2023.

The district did receive popular support from the community, but LCISD did acknowledge the line on the ballot that warned voters about property taxes increasing if the bond was passed.

“The ballot says one thing, and the district is saying another,” said Bryant.

The LCISD stands behind its original statement that the money will not come out of property taxes.

“I would encourage voters to go back and look at their property tax rate the last two years and see what’s happened… and see if you’re true to our word,” said Bryant. “They’ll [Taxpayers] see that the bond did pass, and yet we were able to lower the tax rate.”

According to officials, the bond is dependent on the projected growth of the district, and they will have access to funds gradually as more businesses move into the area.

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During a special called meeting on Monday, the Lubbock-Cooper ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $420 million bond proposal and called for an election in May. Keith Bryant, The Superintendent for Lubbock-Cooper ISD said the district is increasing drastically.

“We are up almost 40%, from five years ago,” said Bryant, “our board has spent about two years studying this election and trying to figure exactly the path to follow, and really feel like it’s the best path forward to make sure that we stay ahead of the growth and that we have quality facilities for our students as we continue to grow.”

Monday, the LCISD board voted and called for a vote on a $420 million bond that would expand the school district.

“The biggest projects included in the bond are a second comprehensive high school complex, a third middle school, and a sixth elementary among various other projects that will help us meet the needs of our growing community,” said Bryant.

Bryant emphasizes the approval would not raise the property tax rate.

“We’re going to fund it through the growth in our community,” said Bryant. “Our board the last two years has lowered the tax rate by a total of 13 cents, and anticipate being able to do that going forward. And so this bond will not require a tax rate increase. And that’s the beauty of it. Because we’re growing so fast. We feel like the programs can be funded the building projects can be funded through that growth without a tax increase.”

Bryant said the projects would be prioritized over the next 8 to 10 years beginning with the second high school. Also included in the package are HVAC and roofing improvements and athletic additions to existing campuses. Bryant added LCISD has land for all of the additional schools.

“The second High School will be located at Woodrow Road and Quaker. The third Middle School will be located at 1595 and IOLA and the sixth elementary will be located at university and about 152nd Street,” said Bryant.

Lubbock-Cooper ISD is a 5A school district with an enrollment of 7,130 students. The district is currently home to nine campuses.

Residents living within the district will be able to vote on the bond. Early voting runs April 19th through the 27th and election day is May 1st.

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It’s a project Lubbock County officials said has been in the works for nearly two decades. Now, the public is getting a chance to comment on a proposal to widen Woodrow Road in southern Lubbock County from two lanes to a five-lane roadway from near Highway 87 to Slide Road.

“It’s the right thing to do to get public comment and to see the presentations and to understand that they’re taking a two-lane country road and going make it into a five-lane boulevard and not displace any homes or businesses,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Bill McCay said. “The engineering folks that are working on it right now are in that design. You can go to the Lubbock County website or TxDOT website and see the presentation and get a good understanding of how complex this 4.7 miles of roadway is, the drainage and the things to take in consideration to make it a better, safer road.”

Better, Safer Roads was the campaign in May of 2019, asking voters to approve a $99 million bond proposal to build or reconstruct roads across Lubbock County. Woodrow Road is the first major roadway in that plan to undergo its overhaul.

“We’re looking at an overall project of approximately $35 million,” County Judge Curtis Parrish said. “We’re looking at using approximately $24 million of [Metropolitan Planning Organization] money, or our state and federal funds, and then using approximately $12 million of bond money to accomplish the full completion of Woodrow Road.”

An online presentation on the project was published August 27 in lieu of an in-person public meeting. TxDOT and Lubbock County are asking citizens to review the proposal and provide feedback.

“We’ve got a lot of major intersections along Woodrow Road,” Parrish said. “A lot of the growth that’s going on in Lubbock County is happening at these major intersections. So, is this intersection as it’s being designed capable of handling the growth that we’re expecting out in that southern part of our county? The only way we’re going really going to know that is we’re going to need the input from the public, those that that that drive on that road every day.”

This is part of several steps that will be taken before construction is expected to start in the Spring of 2022.

“You’d like to just go out there and just start today,” McCay said. “But, it’s critical to have it surveyed and engineered and designed so that it’s a road that will not flood and will not cause flooding. It’ll be a safe route or safer road. The time it takes for the engineering design is about a year and a half. After the design is complete, then Lubbock County would go out to bid with general contractors. Lubbock County will then oversee the construction of the project and it’s actually going to be done in two phases. One phase begins with a Spring of 2022 the other would begin in the Fall of 2022.”

To review the Woodrow Road proposal, click here.

The following are instructions on submitting comments:

All comments must be received on or before Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. Members of the public may call (806) 319-6148 and verbally provide comments. Written comments from the public regarding the proposed project are requested and may be submitted by mail to: Kimley-Horn, Attention: Sean Cudnoski, Project Manager, 4411 98th St., Suite 300, Lubbock, Texas 79424. Written comments may also be submitted by email to sean.cudnoski@kimley-horn.com.

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The fate of the $99.6 million dollar bond to start fixing Lubbock County roads will be decided this Saturday, May 4th.

Some people have been waiting years for improvements like that, but others don't think it'll be beneficial to everyone.

If the bond passes, there's already a plan in place to fix several problem areas, including Woodrow Road.

Anita Martinez-Mendez, who lives directly on Woodrow Road near Lubbock-Cooper ISD, said the improvements would force her family to move because they would expand the street into her yard.

"I don’t want them to take anything away from us," Martinez-Mendez said. "Unless they pay us enough to move because we're elderly and we can not start over again."

Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parish said they're trying to help the people who drive their kids to school and also the people who live in the area.

"This bond package is for the entire county," Parish said. "It's not just for one small section of the county that's experiencing high growth, but we're experiencing growth and need everywhere in the county."

Parish said Woodrow Road isn't the onyl road targeted in the plan. They'll plan to fix problem areas around Frenship, Shallowater high school, Idalou, and the Slaton area.

"The reason we're doing it now is because it needs to be done now," said Parish, "This is a comprehensive plan, not just for one project in Lubbock County, but a bond project that will benefits all the citizens of Lubbock County."

Martinez-Mendez does agree the congestion in the area near Lubbock-Cooper is terrible, but she still beleives the county should also help her and the other families living in the neighborhood.

"We have always worked. Now we don't because we're retired, but like I told you, we paid for this with work. I don't think it's fair," said Mendez.

Lubbock Cooper ISD's Superintendent Keith Bryant said, in a statement, this will only be beneficial to the school district's staff, parents, and students:

"Proposition A has the potential to positively impact generations of Lubbock-Cooper students. LCISD is one of the fastest growing school district's in the state of Texas, and our incredible community has supported maintaining and adding to our school facilities, introducing new programs for students, increasing staff, and many other proactive measures to best serve as many students as possible. Roads, however, have yet to be addressed. On any given school day, approximately 3,000 of our students travel to school via Woodrow Road, Avenue P, or both, in addition to hundreds of staff members and parents. For this reason, our Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution in support of Proposition A months ago. Lubbock-Cooper ISD believes our children deserve a safe path to school each day, and our community members deserve safe methods of traveling to and from their homes. Proposition A is the key to providing that."

The post Divided opinions on $99.6 million dollar bond to fix county roads appeared first on Cooper For All.

Lubbock County Commissioners voted 3-2 to have a nearly $100 million bond election put to a vote in May.

Citizens will be voting yes or no to authorize the county to issue $99.6 million in debt to fund transportation improvements throughout the county. May elections, which are generally city and school board elections, tend to have lower voter turnout than November elections. The City of Lubbock and Lubbock ISD do not have any scheduled elections, so this will be the only item on the ballot in the county’s largest city and school district.

Commissioners Jason Corley and Chad Seay voted against having a bond election in just a few months. Seay, prior to the final vote, called to table the decision until a later date — to wait and possibly place it on the November ballot. That motion failed 2-3 before the vote to have the election in May passed on a 3-2 vote. There was no discussion among the commissioners before either vote.

Corley, who voted with Seay, said after the meeting they wanted the bond election delayed so they could have at least one budget cycle under their belts. Corley and Seay, along with County Judge Curtis Parrish, were sworn into office just last month.

“It needs to happen,” Corley said about the bond election. “But we absolutely need to get through one budget cycle before we do anything. A lot of my constituents contacted me and said, ‘wait a minute, you just got in the door. What’s the rush?’ I can’t act on what I don’t absolutely know.”

The $99.6 million outlined in the bond election is for the projects defined in the county’s newly adopted Transportation Improvement Program as the most urgent road needs — totaling 120 miles of county road.

Among those are roughly $38 million estimated to widen Woodrow Road from Slide Road to U.S. 87, a need long discussed by the county and in local campaigns. Other urgent improvements are for FM 1294 in Shallowater, Walnut Street in Idalou, CR 6400 in East Lubbock, Alcove Avenue in Wolfforth, and County Roads 7300 and 3600 near Ransom Canyon.

Commissioners Bill McCay and Gilbert Flores said it’s a public safety issue that should have been addressed a long time ago.

“We’re talking about public safety, we’re talking about lives,” McCay said. “We’ve been made aware of the need, we know the need. The longer we wait, the longer the public will be traveling on roads that aren’t as safe as we’d like for them to be ... Time is of the essence.”

Commissioners on Monday reiterated the county intends to issue these bonds without increasing the tax rate. The current plan, according to Jennifer Davidson, the county’s public works director, would be to issue roughly $5 million in bonds the first year to get the design and engineering done for the first road projects, and complete some small caliche projects.

Actual construction wouldn’t begin for a few years — including Woodrow Road. The Lubbock Metropolitan Planning Organization has already paid for the design and engineering of Woodrow Road at a cost of about $2.5 million.

“What we did was put the needs of Lubbock County, and Lubbock’s growth, into our constituents’ hands,” said Flores. “We’re showing them what’s needed, but it’s not something that’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day. Within the next five years, ten years, there’s a lot of things that need to be improved... I’m just hoping and praying the citizens understand what we did, and why we did it. It’s really up to them now to decided what they want to do.”

Something that’s come up a few times when talking about this bond election is the current state legislative session. A-J Media has been told part of the urgency is possible decisions to come from the state level, although nobody has pointed to any specifics.

Most of the public comments ahead of the meeting were in favor of the bond election. About 10 people addressed the commissioners — two citizens spoke against the bond election, and the rest were in favor. Representatives from the City of Wolfforth, Lubbock Cooper ISD and the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce urged the county to move forward with this bond election.

“When I became superintendent five years ago, the very first thing that came to my attention was how dangerous Woodrow Road had become,” said Keith Bryant, superintendent of Lubbock Cooper ISD. “For student safety, for the lives of our children, this bond is going to be very, very much a necessity.”

As for how these projects can be funded without increasing the county’s 34.8 cents per $100 property valuation tax rate, the county says it’ll issue the bonds as the county’s growth is able to pay it off. The county’s debt from the new detention center will also roll off in about seven years, which either frees up more funds for road projects and/or allows the county to reduce the tax rate.

The May election will take place Saturday, May 4, with early voting starting April 22.

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