Many Tarrant County residents have expressed their disapproval of Wendy Burgess’ potential reappointment to the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) board.
“Absolutely not. The ISDs continue to lose voters’ trust by making appointments that the voters have already rejected. Drain the ISD swamp!” Fort Worth ISD resident Jennifer Crossland told The Dallas Express.
“Bad Pick for TAD; that’s why I voted for Barnes,” Northwest ISD resident Jennifer Gallagher told The Dallas Express.
Burgess continues to receive additional criticism.
“She’s an apologist for Mr. Law; yes, she was. Shake your heads side to side, but she was. She even said at a board meeting one time, ‘thank you for following the law’ when it turns out there was potential oppression under his tenure,” TAD activist Joe Bennett told board members at a November Mansfield ISD board meeting. “When she got on that board being elected tax assessor-collector, she had his oversight, somebody that failed this school district.”
TAD Chief Appraiser Jeff Law resigned last year after the county commissioners voted unanimously on a statement of ‘No Confidence,’ reported NBC 5 DFW.
The commissioner’s court also urged the board of directors last year to fire Law after a series of missteps at the TAD.
Under Law’s leadership, the TAD was plagued with controversy as it faced problems with the rollout of a new website in early 2023. A TAD administrator was terminated after he was recorded saying he would be willing to lie to the media to cover up website problems TAD was facing, reported NBC 5.
“Ms. Burgess has not approved of my narratives concerning the Appraisal District. It is hard to be a supporter and an apologist for the former Chief Appraiser, Jeff Law, and those who served him and still provide the quality of service that citizens of Tarrant County require. This conflict of thought shows that the allegiance to the truth is a moving target for Ms. Burgess. To this day, Ms. Burgess has not provided any instances or examples of my untruths for which she levied. I have attended approximately 90% of TAD meetings since October 2016. Blinders are difficult to shed,” Joe Bennett told The Dallas Express.
Burgess’ support for former Law was a significant topic during the Republican primary.
“Please do not vote for Wendy Burgess for Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector as Chandler Crouch so clearly states in this video. I also attended most TAD board meetings and Wendy Burgess supported the past Chief Appraiser through all the major issues he and his staff created at the Appraisal District. Please watch this short video,” former city councilmember George Dodson wrote on Facebook.
In early March this year, Burgess was defeated in the Republican primary.
“Voters entrusted me to serve as the new Tax Assessor-Collector because they wanted a taxpayer advocate both at the Tax office and on the Appraisal District Board. As a sitting member on the Appraisal Board, I look forward to working alongside the other board members but in doing so, will ensure we remain accountable to and answer to the taxpayers of Tarrant County,” Tax-Assessor Collector-elect Rick Barnes told The Dallas Express.
Currently, fourteen people are vying for a spot on the Tarrant Appraisal District’s board of directors, with only five open seats, reported KERA News.
The Dallas Express reached out to Burgess’ office for comment but did not receive a response.