LUBBOCK CITY MANAGER PROPOSES CLOSING HEALTH DEPARTMENT

One of the most critical roles of Lubbock city government, and in this case of an elected city council, is to provide for the safety and wellbeing of city residents and those who visit the city on business or for pleasure.
That responsibility has long been recognized as a basic priority of city councils and city managers in virtually every incorporated city in the United States.
And in a city like Lubbock with 239,000 residents according to the latest census figures, tax dollars spent on a city health department would appear to be essential and not just discretionary spending.
City governments are charged with the responsibility of providing certain services to and for its residents and consequently you have city run fire departments, police departments, utility companies, and yes, city health departments; among other services.
All those services, working in unison, ensure that the public is reasonably safe from natural and man made disasters, and possible disease outbreaks.
That's one of the primary reasons residents pay city taxes, to help pay for the type of services that residents need and depend on.
Even the founders of this city understood that principle.
As evidenced by language in the Lubbock City Charter which expressly states:
“Health Department; Powers: to provide for a health department and the establishment of rules and regulations protecting the health of the city”
As a result, the Lubbock health department is much more than just a place for residents to go for immunizations, or birth and death certificates; or to get information on health issues such as sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s), which by the way, statistics reveal is a big problem in this city.
Most importantly, Lubbock’s health department serves as a central health command center and monitors the ...