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Appraisal districts were created and are governed by the Texas Property Tax Code. The Property Tax Code was created in 1979 by legislation known as the Peveto bill. Prior to the creation of appraisal districts all taxing entities had their own appraisal staff. Properties were often listed on different taxing entities rolls at dramatically different appraised values and assessment ratios were also applied with no uniformity between entities. The Peveto bill created one appraisal district within each county to appraise properties for all taxing entities at 100% market value with fairness and equity and abolished assessment ratios. The plan was to create a level playing field where no one would be subject to paying taxes based on more or less than their fair share.

You and I as property owners over the last several years have experienced a tremendous increase in our market values because the appraisal district has the responsibility to reflect the market and appraise properties at 100%. In a declining market, the appraisal district will have the same responsibility to lower values to reflect the market.

If you believe your property is appraised above your opinion of its market value and it is prior to the expiration of 30 days from the date the appraisal notice is mailed, typically in May, we want to talk to you to insure the accuracy of your market value. Please refer to the LINKS page for the pamphlet on Rights, Remedies and Responsibilities for a more thorough explanation.

The appraised value is only one component of your taxes. The other component is the tax rate. The taxing entities, once an appraisal roll is certified to them, go through a process to adopt a tax rate. It is important for you to understand that if values increase then there are more dollars for the entities to spread their budget over. Increases in value can mean decreases in rates. If overall values increase and the rate stays the same as last year, it is a tax increase. You may have a voice in rate adoption by attending the adoption hearings for your taxing entities. With both components, your value, divided by $100, multiplied by the adopted tax rate, equals your taxes or levy.

We at the appraisal district have many responsibilities and must be good stewards making sure we do our jobs well. You as a property owner have many rights and it is important that you are involved in the process of both value and rate. With all of us, the appraisal district, taxing entities and you, working together we can accomplish the fair and equitable distribution of the taxes that fund our public education and community services.