For the first time, Tarrant County neighbors will be able to elect three people to the Tarrant Appraisal District Board of Directors as they consider their assessment notices.
“People are really at war on property taxes,” said Vinny Minchillo, a Republican political consultant. “They feel like they don’t have control in that precinct. So it’s a huge thing for voters to have some control over what’s going on in their precinct.”
Under property tax reform passed last year, elections will be held in assessment districts in counties with a population of 75,000 or more. The change expands his normally five-member assessment district board and adds his three major publicly elected positions. The tax assessor will also be a voting member of the nine-member board of directors.
Eight candidates are vying for three open seats in Tarrant County. 1st place went to Eric Morris, Sayeda Bilquiz Said, and Trey Fowler. Second place goes to Carey Rigney and Eric B. Kreil. 3rd place went to Chuck Kelly, Matt Bryant, and Lee Henderson.
A new political action committee (PAC) called Tarrant Taxpayer Advocates was formed several weeks ago to support Mr. Morris, Mr. Rigney and Mr. Bryant, according to filings with the Texas Ethics Commission.
Most of the PAC’s money comes from the three candidates themselves, according to filings.
“They can pool their money to get their message to more people,” Minchillo said.
He calls this a “sophisticated political technique.”
“This is something you probably would have seen a few years ago in races at the Congressional level, even in U.S. Senate races. And these kinds of technologies and tools are going even deeper into the ballot. So, “It’s remarkable to see this ‘at this level,'” Minchillo explained.
The PAC spent more than $71,000 on the race, according to filings.
He noted that some of the PAC’s money also comes from a consulting firm used by Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare. He also supports all three PAC candidates.
“So you should assume they all think alike,” Minchillo said. “This is a rare opportunity to have a voice and say who’s going to be on the appraisal district. And certainly for Tim O’Hare … it’s an opportunity for three people to join the board.”
But community activist Daniel J. Bennett is concerned, pointing out that these seats should be nonpartisan.
“Tad, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you want to stay in the house, that’s what matters. It’s not about political allegiances or alliances,” Bennett said.
He is also concerned about the platforms of some candidates.
PAC candidates say they want appraisals to be done every three years instead of every year, and they want to cap home appraisals at 5%.
TAD Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt said the board has the authority to change the revaluation cycle, but there are factors to consider when doing so.
“Due to historic market value increases, most rating districts revalue annually to ensure that schools remain within the market value required by law to receive full state funding,” Bobbitt said. he wrote in an email to NBC 5.
He continued, “Assessment districts must adhere to reassessment plans and policies adopted by the Board of Directors to assess potential benefits to taxpayers and the entities they serve over one, two, and three year cycles.” “We will support the decision,” he added.
He said capping or restricting valuations to 5% is not currently permitted by law.
Bobbitt added, “The appraisal district does not take a position on these issues and merely serves in an advisory role to the board.”
“They’re making veiled promises with veiled solutions, but they don’t understand the systems and structures they have to serve,” Bennett said.
He encourages voters to do their homework on each candidate before heading to the polls.
The election will be held on Saturday, May 4th. Early voting begins Monday and ends April 30th. The elected directors will take office by July 1, 2024.
