Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who has often said that property tax relief for Dallas residents has been one of his administration’s top priorities, is protesting the appraised value of his home.
Records from the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) reveal that Johnson is protesting the appraised $1.6 million value of his 5,000-square-foot home in the White Rock Lake area of East Dallas, reported The Dallas Morning News.
Based on the current appraisal, Johnson would pay roughly $33,000 in property taxes, 28% of which would go to City coffers while the rest would bolster Dallas County accounts.
DCAD’s director of community relations, Cheryl Jordan, said Johnson appealed his appraisal every year since he purchased the home in 2012 but said she did not know whether those appeals were successful.
Mayor Johnson responded to DMN’s report in his Sunday newsletter, defending his appeal and encouraging Dallas homeowners to do what they can to lower their property tax payments.
“Yes, the news is true. I protested the appraised value of my home, and you should consider doing the same,” he told the people of Dallas.
Johnson asserted that every homeowner in Dallas “deserves a fair and accurate appraisal of his or her home’s value,” recommending that homeowners communicate with DCAD “to ensure the tax roll is accurate.”
“I am serious about using every possible tool to relieve your property tax burden,” he continued. “Disputing the appraised value of your home and applying for exemptions are two ways to lower your taxes while your Mayor and City Council work to lower the city property tax rate applied to your home’s appraised value.”
Last year, the Dallas City Council adopted the largest single-year property tax cut in decades as part of its $4.5 billion budget. However, an April study found that Dallas has suffered the highest five-year property tax payment increase of any major U.S. city due to soaring home values in the area.
Mayor Eric Johnson named property tax relief as one of his top three priorities during his inauguration speech last month, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Along with Mayor Johnson, at least two members of the Dallas City Council are also protesting their home appraisals — Chad West and Jaime Resendez.
“It’s the prudent thing to do to ensure that the county’s appraisal district is not overvaluing my home,” Resendez told DMN, adding that he has appealed his appraisal every year since he first owned a home.
“I’d encourage all property owners to appeal their property’s tax appraisal, especially if they feel like they’re paying more than their fair share,” he said.
Council Member West said he has protested his appraisal every year for at least a decade.
“Like many Dallas residents, I feel like our property tax increases are unjustified, and I support legislation to get that under control,” he said, per DMN.
Property tax relief has also been a hot topic in the Texas Legislature.
After Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session around the issue, House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced on Monday that the two chambers had reached an agreement for property tax relief, as reported by The Dallas Express.