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Tarrant Appraisal District's freeze on residential reappraisals draws criticism at commissioners' meeting
Summary
Chief Appraiser John Bobby told the court that residential values were frozen at 2024 appraised levels for 2025–26 by the TAD board; residents and commissioners criticized the policy as unequal and said many homeowners may pay more than their fair share under the plan.
Tarrant Appraisal District Chief Appraiser John Bobby briefed the court on the district's reappraisal plan and the mechanics of the homestead cap. He said commercial and personal property are reappraised annually but that the district's plan kept most residential appraised values at 2024 levels for 2025 and 2026, with limited exceptions for sales or acreage changes.
Several residents told the court that the plan effectively shifted tax burdens and created non-uniform assessments across neighborhoods. Speakers and commissioners cited independent analyses and argued that a large share of residential property owners could be paying a disproportionate share of county taxes because more valuable homes received lower appraisal percentages while many lower- and middle-value homes remained close to market-value appraisal percentages.
Bobby advised taxpayers to use the district's online value negotiator and said the informal protest window runs through May 15; if informal negotiations fail, taxpayers may file formal protests with the independent appraisal review board. He also said the state property-value study is broken down by school district and that only a small number of districts were outside tolerance levels, which triggers state review and potential corrective steps.
Outcome: No immediate policy change was made by the commissioners during the meeting. Commissioners and several speakers urged residents to review their notices, consider informal negotiation or formal protest by the May 15 deadline, and follow up with the appraisal district for more details.
Provenance: Chief Appraiser briefing and public comments at the May 12 meeting (topic introduced SEG 4447; briefing and public reactions conclude by SEG 4643).
