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TALCB reviews first‑draft 2026 budget, flags reserves and staffing impacts
Summary
The Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board reviewed a three‑year draft budget for FY2026–2028 that includes a 3% staff merit pool, a $5,000 internal audit allocation and no new FTEs; staff also updated the board on a multi‑year licensing database conversion and service impacts during an August 'dark period.'
Board staff presented the first draft of the agency's 2026 budget, a three‑year forecast with FY2026 as the adoptable year. Miss Williams reported the draft includes no new full‑time equivalent positions, a 3% merit pool for salary and wages, a $5,000 allocation specifically earmarked for expanding the scope of an internal audit contract, and a maintained $150,000 line for contract support and professional fees.
Revenue projections in the materials show a relatively flat picture for 2026, with projection increases in 2027 and 2028 tied to cyclical AMC fee renewals. Staff told the board they project unreserved fund balances of approximately $2.7 million to start FY2026 with modest declines thereafter and directed staff to analyze options to reduce unreserved funds while keeping the agency financially healthy.
Executives also highlighted operational items that could affect budgets, including a governor‑driven return‑to‑office telework policy and a multi‑year licensing database conversion that remains roughly a year behind schedule. Executive Director Buckholtz said staff expect a data conversion dark period in August when renewals will not be processed and warned the transition could cause user frustration.
Board members noted a recent decline in trainee registrations (from about 1,500 at the August 2022 high to about 840 at the time of the meeting), a drop in AMC registrations (from 182 in 2023 to 166), and the potential revenue effects of those declines. Chair Oates asked staff to provide additional detail and to ensure new board members are oriented to the budget cycle and timing before the August meeting when the budget is expected to be finalized.
No budget motion was adopted at this meeting; staff will update the budget committee and return with additional analysis and proposed changes for the board's August meeting.
