The Tarrant Appraisal District reforms that were recently passed should be a blueprint for other cities in Texas.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, TAD voted 5-3 to change the frequency of property evaluations to every other year. They also put a freeze on appraisals for 2025 and approved a 5% “threshold” for market increases.
Despite the efforts of new TAD directors Eric Morris, Matt Bryant, and Callie Rigney, who sought to limit the county’s appraisals to once every three years, the two-year cycle for residential properties was passed on July 22.
The Dallas Express asked TAD board members for comments on the impact these reforms will have on taxpayers.
“The reforms the TAD board passed will take some of the pressure to protest values off the taxpayer and ensure that larger changes in value are backed up with clear and convincing evidence while at the same time ensuring that the taxing entities interest in stable funding is assured,” TAD Board Member Rich DeOtte told DX.
New TAD Board Member Morris expressed confidence that the reforms are going to be positive for taxpayers.
“These reforms mandated by the voters are a huge step in the right direction. As far as I’m aware, no other appraisal district is taking this kind of action,” he told DX. “These reforms will provide relief to homeowners and will give taxpayers more power over the appraisal district.”
Taxpayers have praised the board for the reforms and for putting taxpayers first after years of public criticism.
“My hat is off to Tarrant County. We went from an appraisal district actively covering up their own corruption and attacking the taxpayer to the appraisal district becoming arguably the most taxpayer-friendly appraisal district in the entire state,” Tarrant County resident and TAD activist Chandler Crouch told DX.