During a six-plus hour meeting on July 22 at the Arlington ISD Administration Building, three board members elected by the public in the May election cycle led the charge for four changes. These included changing the frequency of property appraisals from every year to every two years.
“With the reforms mandated by the voter, they start today,” said Matt Bryant, a Southlake resident and one of three new publicly-elected officials. “Every appraisal district is required to maintain a reappraisal plan. This is the governing document of the district by state law, any changes in this plan have to be in place by Sept. 15, so we're bumping up against it.”
Bryant said the changes will allow for a more accurate, fair and timely appraisal process.
Zooming in
The motion to change the appraisal frequency of homes passed 6-3. The three newly-elected members voted against that motion, which came after a motion for every three years was presented and seconded by Bryant and Callie Rigney, a former Colleyville City Council member who was also elected in May.
That vote failed 6-3, with the last newcomer, Eric Morris, voting in favor of three years.
The other changes approved were:
- Direct Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt to consider a property’s previous property appraisals, settlements and reductions in value when subsequently appraising that same property’s property value.
- Freeze residential property values for tax year 2024-25 at current property values, except for new construction.
- Sets appraisal caps or thresholds of 5% on properties, absent clear and convincing evidence or other possible limitations.
The discussion about changing from a yearly appraisal drew criticism from many local Tarrant County school districts that had representatives speak against the idea in public comments. Those talks carried over into a nearly four-hour executive session.
Bobbitt said being on a two-year cycle could be the "safest approach" to this change, but acknowledged school districts could be put at risk because of current funding issues at the state level.
“So if we raise it to three years, OK; the property owners may get a break initially,” said board member Gloria Pena, a former Arlington ISD trustee. “Then, the school districts, which are your highest taxing entity, will then raise their taxes. So one way or the other, the money has to come from somewhere. What's reasonable, in my opinion, is to go to two years.”
Put in perspective
Bryant said the increase in protests over the past 13 years as an issue that is "getting out of hand." He said oftentimes those who protest the property value will get the same increase they are protesting the next year.
“This is a broken system,” Bryant said. “Reductions that you agreed upon from the previous year must be factored in.”
The freeze on residential property tax would start for the next tax year at market value, not appraised value, according to Bobbitt. From there, TAD uses a formula to get the appraised value. That motion passed 9-0.
The appraisal caps or threshold also passed 9-0 but would not go into effect until the 2025-26 tax year.
Local Realtor Chandler Crouch warned of the impact that might happen with the changes.
“You got all the different industries with real estate, insurance, home contractors, flooring, countertop guys, loan officers, title companies,” he said. “It could have major impacts that is an unintended consequence.”
