Historic Tarrant Appraisal District race – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

As Tarrant County neighbors go through their appraisal notices, for the first time they will get to elect three people to the Tarrant Appraisal District board of directors.

“People are really at war with their property taxes,” said Vinny Minchillo, a Republican political consultant. “They feel like there’s no control in that assessment district. So it’s very important for voters to have some control over what happens in the assessment district.”

Under property tax reforms passed last year, elections must be held in assessment districts in counties with a population of 75,000 or more. The change expands the assessment district’s board of directors, typically consisting of five appointed individuals, to include three publicly elected at-large positions. The tax advisor will also become a voting member of the board of nine directors.

Eight candidates are vying for the three open seats in Tarrant County: Eric Morris, Sayeda Bilqees Syed and Trae Fowler for Place 1; Callie Rigney and Eric B. Crile for 2nd place; and Chuck Kelley, Matt Bryant and Lee Henderson for 3rd place.

According to filings with the Texas Ethics Commission, a new Political Action Committee (PAC) called Tarrant Taxpayer Advocates was formed a few weeks ago and is supporting Morris, Rigney and Bryant.

The filings show that most of the PAC funding comes from these three candidates themselves.

“They can pool their money so their message gets to many more people,” Minchillo said.

He calls it an ‘advanced political technique’.

“This is something you might have seen a few years ago in a congressional race or even a U.S. Senate race. And these types of techniques and tools are becoming increasingly popular. And so it’s remarkable to see this at this level,” Minchillo explained.

Documents show the PAC spent more than $71,000 on the race.

He pointed out that some of the PAC money also comes from a consulting firm that Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare uses. He has also endorsed all three PAC candidates.

“So you’d have to think they’re all like-minded,” Minchillo said. “It’s a rare opportunity to have a voice and who gets into the review district. And certainly an opportunity for Tim O’Hare to have … three people on the board.”

But that worries community activist Daniel J. Bennett, who points out that these seats should be nonpartisan.

“TAD, it doesn’t matter who you are, if you want to stay in your home, that’s what’s important. They are not political allegiances or alliances,” Bennett said.

He’s also concerned about some of the candidates’ platforms.

The PAC candidates say they want appraisals to occur every three years, instead of annually, and they want to cap home appraisals at 5%.

TAD’s chief appraiser, Joe Don Bobbitt, said the board has the authority to change the revaluation cycle, but there are elements to consider.

“Due to historic market value increases, most appraisal districts revaluate annually to stay within the market value range required by law for schools to receive their full share of state funding,” Bobbitt wrote in an email to NBC 5.

“The assessment district will comply with any reassessment plan or policy adopted by the board and will help determine any benefits of a 1, 2 or 3 year cycle to the taxpayers and entities we serve,” he added to.

Limiting or limiting assessment values ​​to 5% is not currently permitted by law, he said.

“The Appraisal District does not take a position on these issues and serves only an advisory role to the board,” Bobbitt added.

“They make veiled promises with veiled solutions and they don’t understand the system and the construct from which they are expected to serve,” Bennett said.

He encourages voters to do their homework on each candidate before heading to the polls.

The elections are on Saturday, May 4. Early voting begins Monday and ends April 30. The elected directors will take office on July 1, 2024.