Voters asked to weigh in on appraisal district board of directors

As North Texas property owners watch their mail for property tax appraisal notices, some also have the chance to vote on new bosses for local appraisal review boards on May 4.

First publicly elected directors

Every spring, property owners across North Texas receive notice about the proposed value from their local appraisal district. Placing a value on your home is the first step in determining what you’ll pay in property taxes later this year. If you disagree with the value, you can protest and go before an appraisal review board or ARB.

For the first time, voters are asked to pick some of the people tasked with overseeing the ARB.

“The people that pick those people, the taxpayer is going to get to pick them on May the 4th. So, choose wisely,” said Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt.

Bettencourt, who represents the Houston area, told NBC 5 last week the publicly elected directors would offer voter input on how an appraisal district is governed.

Some voters won’t see candidates on the ballot

Under property tax reforms passed last year, the election is to be held in appraisal districts in counties with populations of 75,000 or more. The change expands the appraisal district’s board of directors, typically five appointed individuals, to add three publicly elected at-large positions. The tax assessor also becomes a voting member of the board of nine directors.

“The board of directors - their main job is to pass the budget, to elect the chief appraiser and then to install any policies and procedures that would govern the appraisal district,” said Brian Swanson, Collin Central Appraisal District Deputy Chief Appraiser.

Swanson explained three people were running for three Collin Central Appraisal District board places unopposed so the election was canceled and voters won’t see the question on their May 4 ballot.

Sample ballots and election notices show voters in Dallas, Denton and Tarrant Appraisal Districts will see candidates on the May 4 ballot.

Will Wiggins, property tax consultant with North Texas Property Tax Services, said the board of directors doesn’t appraise your property or set your value. Though it would oversee the people who do.

“I think, at the taxpayer level, that we won't see very many changes to the protest process. But we hope that there will be a voice of the people that sort of inform the executives at the appraisal district and the board what's going on,” Wiggins said.

The seats for the board of directors are non-partisan. The election is on Saturday, May 4. Early voting begins Monday and ends on April 30. Elected directors take office by July 1, 2024.

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