Taxes, garbage fees, water rates all going up - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

Monday evening the Lubbock City Council will have the first reading of the 2011/2012 budget which includes a tax hike and increases in monthly rates for services.

• Water rates will go up from $28 to $30 per month for those on a 3/4 inch meter; and from $46.74 to $50.08 per month for those using a 1-inch meter.  Volume charges are not scheduled to go up as part of the new budget.
• Waste water (sewer) rates will go up from $14.00 to $16.00 per month for those on a 3/4 inch meter and from $17.06 to 19.49 for those on a 1-inch meter.
• Residential solid waste (garbage) goes up from $15.25 to $16.75 per month.
• And the residential stormwater rate goes up from $14.00 to $16.00. 

City Council will also consider raising property taxes by 1.783¢ per $100 assessed valuation.  Even before a rate hike, the average Lubbock home will increase in valuation from $111,684 to $113,931.  If approved, the higher valuations coupled with the rate hike will result in higher taxes of more than $30 for the next year.

Property taxes would then generate an additional $3.1 million over the current budget, which would be used in part to fund the hiring of 15 new firefighters.    

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