Commissioner payroll controversy prompts Texas Ranger investigation request - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Stanek declined to say more about the pending investigation, but county commissioners are putting the matter on their own agenda. The Sept. 21 resolution would formally back Stanek's request to bring in the Texas Rangers. Its language points to "payroll irregularities" tied to Lubbock County government over the past year, including issues connected to a commissioner appointment.

Taxpayers are footing the bill for whatever created the situation, and commissioners asking for state investigators rather than handling it internally shows how seriously they're taking it.

For people in Lubbock County, this is about accountability at the level of government that handles roads, courts and local elections. If the Rangers take the case, it moves from a local personnel dispute to a state criminal matter, which affects how long it might take to get answers.

Nobody in county government has explained publicly how two paychecks ended up tied to one office.