The Lubbock County Water Control and Improvement Board governs Buffalo Springs Lake. It hired Thornton in April 2025, then removed him for "misconduct arising from his use of his position to obtain district permits for his private construction business without paying permit fees."
The board also found his company, GT Construction, engaged in repeated conduct that constitutes grounds for debarment, and it debarred the contractor indefinitely. Members asked the Buffalo Springs Police Department to investigate alongside the district attorney.
Thornton calls the missing permits and payments an administrative error. "We had probably $5 million worth of houses in process. They shut the jobs down," he said. He also turns the accusation around. "I think they are the ones abusing their positions."
Voters are choosing board members for Precinct 1, Precinct 3 and one at-large seat. Every voter in Lubbock County decides the at-large race, so this isn't just a lake-neighborhood fight. Thornton says his record speaks for itself. The board that fired him points to its permit findings.