Montgomery County commissioners did not approve the Montgomery Central Appraisal District’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget July 9 after a motion to support the spending plan failed to receive a second.
Commissioners asked MCAD officials to revisit their budget and present an amended version to court at a later date for approval.
Montgomery County would contribute an estimated $3.72 million toward MCAD’s proposed FY 2026-27 budget, an increase of roughly $194,000 from the county’s $3.52 million contribution in FY 2025-26.
The details
The proposed $20 million budget represents a 5.51% increase from FY 2025-26 and would add 18 employees, including 14 appraisal positions. It also includes a 3.5% merit increase for existing employees.
Chief Appraiser Sherry Hunter said the additional positions are intended to help MCAD keep pace with Montgomery County’s continued growth and maintain a more accurate record of properties across the county.
However, several members of the court questioned whether the appraisal district should provide merit raises while requesting a roughly 16% increase in staffing and continuing to work through thousands of previously unaccounted-for property improvements.
County Judge Mark Keough said he had concerns about management structure within some MCAD departments and questioned whether the district had addressed the underlying process issues contributing to missed properties.
“Personally, as I look at this, I have a hard time justifying this budget,” Keough said. “Let’s solve the problem, and then bring us a merit increase.”
What they’re saying
During the discussion, MCAD officials said a recent report identified 5,604 outstanding payments, though that figure includes barns and other miscellaneous structures. About 4,267 are homes and mobile homes, including roughly 2,000 mobile homes, according to Deputy Chief Appraiser Jacob Martinez.
Martinez said the district previously identified more than 12,000 omitted properties and has continued adding properties to the appraisal roll. He said additional appraisers would allow MCAD to keep more employees in the field throughout the year while other staff members handle property value protests.
“At the end of the day, we can only do so much,” Martinez said. “We do have to put boots on the ground.”
Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler said he understood the need for additional staffing but questioned including both new positions and merit increases in the same budget.
“I would say that the staffing increase is probably more important than the merit increase,” Wheeler said.
What’s next?
Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley made a motion to approve the proposed budget, but no member of the court seconded it. The motion therefore died without a vote.
The court’s decision does not automatically stop the proposed budget. Hunter said at least 51% of Montgomery County’s taxing jurisdictions would have to oppose the spending plan for it to be returned to MCAD.
Following the failed motion, Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray encouraged MCAD officials to review the proposal and consider returning with an adjusted budget.
“I would love for y’all to come back to us, maybe with an adjusted budget,” Gray said. “Are we really being good stewards of our constituents’ tax dollars? That’s what they ask us to do.”
