ACCOUNT ALLEGES LUBBOCK COUNTY PAID MARK MEURER ABOUT $70,000 AFTER COURT RESTORED JASON CORLEY

ACCOUNT ALLEGES LUBBOCK COUNTY PAID MARK MEURER ABOUT $70,000 AFTER COURT RESTORED JASON CORLEY

A detailed account supplied to The806er alleges Lubbock County continued paying Mark Meurer for approximately nine months after a temporary court order restored Jason Corley as Precinct 2 commissioner. It attributes the continued payments to payroll paperwork that County Judge Curtis Parrish allegedly failed to submit.

The account describes the money as “unauthorized payments to Mr. Meurer totaling approximately $70,000.” That figure and the alleged conversations surrounding the paperwork have not been independently verified.

The dispute began December 8, 2025, when Parrish declared the Precinct 2 seat vacant, maintaining that Corley had automatically resigned by becoming a congressional candidate. Parrish swore in Meurer of Slaton that morning, and Corley filed suit the same day to recover his seat.

According to the supplied timeline, Corley “maintains he did not become a candidate before December 2, 2025.”

The State of Texas subsequently intervened in support of Corley. Potter County Attorney Scott Brumley represented the state after Lubbock County District Attorney Sunshine Stanek recused her office. Brumley argued that Parrish lacked authority to declare the seat vacant or appoint Meurer.

At the December 19 hearing, visiting Judge Patrick Pirtle temporarily restored Corley. His ruling was reported as: “I’m going to order that Jason Corley continue to serve. He is the lawful party holding that office.” Further proceedings remained possible. December hearing coverage.

The supplied account says Meurer was then asked to appear at the County Auditor’s Office and signed an affidavit “acknowledging he would receive a final payment of approximately $1,700 for his time in office and that he would not receive further payroll checks from Lubbock County.”

That quotation describes the affidavit according to the account. The affidavit itself was not included in the materials provided for this article.

The timeline says Chief of Staff Lindsey Diaz prepared a Payroll Change Notification, known as a PCN, reflecting Corley’s reinstatement. She also prepared a separate notification to terminate Meurer’s payroll status.

According to the account, Diaz followed the existing procedure, “using the same process previously used when Commissioner Corley was removed from payroll in December 2025.”

“This document required the signature of a member of the Commissioners Court,” the account states.

It alleges that other court members declined to sign the notification because they believed Parrish should handle the situation.

“Other members of the Commissioners Court declined to sign the PCN, stating that the situation had been created by Judge Parrish and that he should be the one to sign it,” the supplied timeline says.

Diaz then gave the notification to Parrish, according to the account. It says he told her he would “take care of it.”

One to two weeks later, the timeline says, Diaz asked Parrish about its status after “having received no confirmation that the PCN had been filed.”

The account alleges Parrish responded by telling her to “stay in her lane.”

Those statements are reported in the supplied narrative. They were not obtained through an interview with Parrish or Diaz for this article.

The timeline alleges the notification did not reach the department responsible for processing the change.

“Judge Parrish never filed the signed PCN with the Human Resources Department,” it states.

“As a result, HR never submitted the change to Payroll, and Payroll continued to pay Mark Meurer as though he remained the lawful officeholder.”

The account attributes the approximately $70,000 total to payments made during that period. It does not provide individual payment dates, payroll entries or a calculation showing how the estimate was reached.

“This ongoing overpayment was not discovered until September 2026,” the timeline states.

It says County Auditor Kathy Williams subsequently sought the paperwork from Parrish.

“Upon discovering the error, the County Auditor, Kathy Williams, contacted Judge Parrish and again requested the signed PCN,” the account states.

“As of the close of business on September 11, 2026, she had not received it.”

The account also says Diaz still possesses the original paperwork she prepared.

“Ms. Diaz retains a dated copy of the original Payroll Change Notification she prepared and gave to Judge Parrish, which she located and confirmed remains in her possession after being asked about the matter by another member of the Commissioners Court,” it states.

A September 13 report separately said five sources confirmed Meurer remained on county payroll. It described the termination paperwork as unsigned. Payroll report.

In that report, Parrish said, “This is an ongoing legal matter, so I can’t comment.” He pointed to October 13 appeals court arguments as an opportunity to clarify the seat dispute.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Michael Dalby said, “Lubbock County needs to be reimbursed immediately with these dollars.” The report said Dalby learned of the payments late the previous week and was willing to sign paperwork ending them. It also said Meurer and his attorney had been contacted without supplying a response. Reported official responses.

The distinction between unsigned and unfiled paperwork remains unresolved. The supplied timeline refers to a “signed PCN,” while the September 13 report describes a missing signature. The original form and submission records would be needed to establish whether the missing step was signing, submitting or both.

The court history also requires a date correction. The Texas Supreme Court granted Meurer’s request for temporary relief and a stay in part on February 20, 2026. February court orders.

The court denied his mandamus petition on May 1, 2026, and lifted that stay. The supplied timeline places the denial on February 24. The official order records it on May 1. May court orders.

The seat dispute continued afterward. A September 2 case update reported that oral arguments were scheduled for October 13 at 10 a.m. in the Don Hunt Courtroom at Texas Tech’s School of Law. Appeals case update.

The materials supplied for this article do not include payroll ledgers, the affidavit, the original PCN or direct statements from Diaz and Williams. They also do not establish whether any money has been repaid or what payroll action followed September 11.

The alleged payment total, the paperwork’s status and whether the payments were legally authorized remain matters requiring independent confirmation.

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