The Tarrant Appraisal District is ending its membership in the .
Appraisal district board members voted 6-3 against renewing their membership at a Dec. 13 meeting, citing the association鈥檚 legislative agenda and the testimony of its legislative chair, Brent South, to lawmakers.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how we can belong to a group that鈥檚 actively lobbying against us,鈥� board member Matt Bryant said. 鈥淚t makes no sense.鈥�
Bryant was referring to the state association鈥檚 push for lawmakers to resolve a conflict in Texas tax code that simultaneously requires property to be appraised at its market value at the beginning of each year, and states that a chief appraiser must reappraise at least once every three years.
That conflict came under scrutiny after the Tarrant Appraisal District鈥檚 board of directors that moved the district from an annual to a biannual appraisal schedule, prompting questions about whether shifting to a two- or three-year appraisal cycle violated the law.
鈥淲e provided your office some language that would clarify that based on the information the chief appraiser has, the chief appraiser shall reappraise annually to make sure we are at market value,鈥� South said to Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, during a Nov. 7 Senate committee hearing. 鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 very important.鈥�
Board member Eric Morris, who was , was the first to propose ending the district鈥檚 membership. He said he understands that not all other appraisal districts agree with TAD鈥檚 reappraisal plan, but added that when there is disagreement between members, the state association should remain neutral.
鈥淚t is even seen as an ethical issue, since all these members are paying fees to this organization,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be right to argue for some of your members and against others.鈥�
Morris, alongside elected board members Bryant and Callie Rigney, were the architects of Tarrant鈥檚 reappraisal changes. The trio ran as a slate with a shared campaign platform of overhauling how property appraisals are handled in Tarrant County.
They are the of the appraisal board, after a constitutional amendment approved by voters last year created three new at-large positions. The new board positions are nonpartisan by law. However, many elected members making waves across the state are self-described conservatives.
The district鈥檚 reappraisal plan has faced criticism from some lawmakers, and lobbying organizations, including . It has also from local Republican leaders and several other appraisal districts, including the Johnson and Bexar appraisal districts.
That split has prompted increased discussion about potential legislative changes ahead of the 89th regular legislative session, which kicks off Jan. 14. In addition to South鈥檚 testimony, the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts released a that include expanding who can serve on an appraisal review board; changing board of director elections from a majority vote to a plurality vote; and opposing any legislation that further politicizes the appraisal process.
In an email, South said his organization is saddened to lose the Tarrant Appraisal District as a member and hopes the appraisal district will reopen their membership in the future.
鈥淚 am a bit confused by their reason for leaving, as none of TAAD鈥檚 legislative priorities nor any of my testimony mentions 鈥榦pposition to the reappraisal plan passed by the Tarrant CAD Board in August,鈥欌�� South said.
South added that if an appraisal district is only reappraising property once every two or three years, if there is any change to market values, there is no way that the district can comply with the section of the property tax code that requires property to be appraised at its market value as of Jan. 1 each year.
鈥淥ur main goal is to create consistency across the state regarding the laws and rules of the property tax system,鈥� South said. 鈥淭AAD has no animosity towards the Tarrant CAD Board or appraisal district and is very hopeful we can move past this and have them return as a member in the future.鈥�
The district鈥檚 departure from the association could mean new expenses. As a member, the appraisal district currently receives significant discounts for conferences and training offered by the organization. Board member Alan Blaylock, who voted against leaving the association, estimated the additional cost for sending people to the conference could be as high as $14,000.
It will also mean that the chief appraiser will need to obtain required continuing education credits through another organization, the . Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt said while the organization is not traditionally geared toward appraisers, he would be able to obtain training from them nonetheless.
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