As Tarrant County lawmakers prepare to kick off the Texas legislative session Jan. 14, Fort Worth Report journalists are exploring the policies set to be reshaped in Austin. Click for more legislative coverage.
The last year has been one of massive change for appraisal districts across the state. If Texas lawmakers have their say, there could be even more change ahead.
To prepare for the 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers have started prefiling bills they hope to see reach the governor鈥檚 desk this summer. Among them are a series of bills designed to change key aspects of how Texas appraisal districts function.
The state鈥檚 50 most populous counties underwent a significant shift in 2024, after voters approved a 2023 constitutional amendment expanding appraisal district boards to include three new members. While appraisal boards are traditionally filled by taxing entity appointees, the three new members were selected through a countywide vote.
Since those elections, which were held last May, have taken steps to overhaul the appraisal process. Tarrant limited , froze property values for 2025 and required 鈥渃lear and convincing evidence鈥� to justify increasing a home鈥檚 value by more than 5% compared with the year before.
Tarrant鈥檚 reappraisal plan changes have for other appraisal districts across the state. Texans pay the in the U.S. As property values continue to rise, many fear being taxed out of their homes. The Texas Legislature has spent the last half-decade making interventions , and the changes heralded by the newly elected board members are just the latest iteration.
But not everyone is convinced those changes are good 鈥� or legal. A number of groups have expressed concerns over Tarrant鈥檚 reappraisal plan, including school districts, lobbying groups and lawmakers. School districts worry the plan could . The Texas Taxpayers and Research Association says it raises concerns about the integrity of the property tax system, which they worry is being subjected to political influence rather than being based on market value.
That split is teeing up another legislative session where property tax burdens, and how to solve them, will remain a hot topic. Here鈥檚 a look at some of the noteworthy bills pertaining to appraisal districts filed so far. Lawmakers have until mid-March to file bills.
Making chief appraiser an election position
Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, has filed a bill to make the chief appraiser an elected position.
Currently, the chief appraiser is hired by an appraisal district鈥檚 board of directors. Chief appraisers are responsible for setting property values, hiring staff and operating the appraisal office. Tax Code Section 5.042 requires chief appraisers to complete the chief appraiser training. Chief appraisers must also be a certified registered professional appraiser with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Bell Jr. proposed this piece of legislation previously, without luck. The Houston-area lawmaker and several others have filed the bill since at least 2017. In some years, it was referred to a committee for further discussion; in other years it got no traction after filing.
Critics of the proposal say it will further inject politics into a nonpolitical position, similarly to the . The Texas Association of Appraisal Districts .
Giving residents more power in appraisal review process
Several lawmakers have filed bills that would give residents more say in the appraisal review process. Currently, residents who disagree with their property鈥檚 appraised value can protest to the , a group of people authorized to resolve disagreements between property owners and the appraisal district. After listening to arguments from both sides, the appraisal review board makes a determination on the issues presented.
Bell Jr. filed a bill stipulating that if a residential property owner files an appeal of their assessed property value within a certain time frame, with an independent appraisal they obtained, the appraisal review board must and issue an order changing the property鈥檚 value.
Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, filed a bill that gives the appraisal review board the authority to change a , if the property has a homestead exemption; the sales price of the property is at least 10% less than the appraised value; and the board makes a finding that the sales price reflects the market value of the property.
Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, filed a bill that would to appeal orders of the appraisal review board. Currently, the chief appraiser can only appeal an appraisal review board order on properties . It has been that way since 2007, when lawmakers first curtailed chief appraisers鈥� appeal authority due to perceived abuse of these appeals.
Eliminating property taxes
Vasut has filed a bill seeking entirely. Vasut鈥檚 bill calls for the creation of a committee to study alternative methods of taxation to replace local tax revenue. Vasut鈥檚 bill isn鈥檛 the first time a lawmaker has called to end property taxes. In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott said was to end property taxes, joining a chorus of far-right conservatives who have pushed the issue for years.
Local government entities, like cities and school districts, rely heavily on property tax revenue to fund their budgets. Texas does not have a state property tax, nor does it have an income tax.
In a September Texas Senate Finance Committee meeting, state officials estimated that it would鈥檝e to end property taxes 鈥� a daunting figure for a state whose two-year budget is $144 billion.
The Fort Worth Report鈥檚 Texas legislative coverage is supported by . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
Emily Wolf is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at emily.wolf@fortworthreport.org.
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