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Georgetown resident urges review of appraisal modeling after neighborhood assessments rise
Summary
Resident Jen Braddock told council she found Central Georgetown neighborhoods were grouped with Old Town for mass appraisal, producing assessed values that appear out of step with recent sale prices; she asked for transparency from the Williamson County Appraisal District (WCAD) on how neighborhood market areas are defined.
Georgetown, Texas — Resident Jen Braddock told the council on April 14 she had spent a year investigating what she described as an appraisal‑modeling issue that groups parts of Central Georgetown (North Old Town, San Jose, TRG) with Old Town for mass appraisal purposes, producing assessed values that do not match recent sale prices in her neighborhood.
Braddock, who identified her address as 106 East Spring Street, said she filed public information requests, reviewed data tables and pursued meetings with the Williamson County Appraisal District but did not receive a clear explanation of how neighborhood classifications were determined. She cited sales where market prices came in materially below the appraised market value and said the homestead cap can lock in incorrect base market values over time.
“I submitted public information requests to understand how this classification was made… I met several times with WCAD last year, and while they agreed to look at our neighborhood more closely, they refused to meet with us in North Old Town so we could better understand their process,” Braddock said. She asked whether the city has visibility into how planning or marketing assumptions might be influencing WCAD’s market‑area definitions.
Council and staff noted the city does not control WCAD and cannot change county appraisal procedures, but Braddock requested greater transparency about how planning definitions might be interpreted in mass appraisal models. She asked for information that would help residents understand whether modeling choices systematically distort values in her neighborhood.
Outcome
Braddock’s comments were taken as public comment at the meeting; there was no council action on appraisal models. Council members acknowledged the distinction between city planning designations and WCAD’s statutory appraisal role.
Quote
"We just got our appraisal notices, so I analyzed all 38 properties in my North Old Town neighborhood…assessed values for many properties still increased by roughly 8 to 9 percent," Braddock said, summarizing her analysis and urging transparency.
Context
The Williamson County Appraisal District handles property appraisals for tax purposes; the city’s role is limited to planning and zoning. Braddock said she is not seeking lower taxes but wants accuracy and explanation of the mass appraisal methodology where distinct neighborhood markets appear to be grouped.
