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Ellis County appraiser reports $3.00 billion total value, outlines 17% reinspection cycle
Summary
County appraiser Eugene Ruppell told commissioners the county ppraised total for 2026 is $3,001,878,381 (about a 3% increase) and previewed a statutorily required 17% annual reinspection cycle; he explained inspection limits and answered commissioners' questions about property-floor determinations.
Eugene Ruppell, Ellis County appraiser, told the commission the county—ame in with a 2026 total appraised value of "$3,001,878,381," about a 3% increase over 2025.
Ruppell said assessed value for 2026 is roughly $454,900,020, about $15 million higher than 2025, and laid out how different property classes moved year over year: residential median values rose about 2.1% while commercial rose about 1.8%; agricultural values showed a median drop of about 4%. "So the total final value for 2026 came up to, $3,001,878,381 right there," he said.
Ruppell also briefed the commission on the county's statutorily required reinspection program. He said Ellis County will reinspect roughly 17% of parcels each year so that each parcel receives an on-site inspection once every six years. He emphasized that appraisers "do not go inside any structures" as a routine part of inspections and that inspectors will only enter a building if the homeowner invites them to do so.
Commissioners asked how inspectors determine interior characteristics — for example, whether a shop has a concrete floor when an interior inspection is not possible. Ruppell described field training and a practical rule of thumb that staff use to determine predominant floor type; he said if the evidence is ambiguous, staff will reach out to the owner or rely on a mailed card the county sends in advance asking owners to report interior details.
The presentation included maps of planned reinspection areas (commissioners were told the county will begin fieldwork soon) and comparisons of median sale prices and median appraised values. Ruppell said the median appraised single-family home value in Ellis County is about $198,770 for 2026, up modestly from the prior year.
The commission did not take formal action on the valuation presentation; Ruppell noted the appeal period for valuation notices and reminded residents of the April 21 deadline to file appeals or to contact the assessor's office with questions.
