07/15/2022
NEWS RELEASE
From: Heather Donahoo, Chief Appraiser
Many of our local taxpayers are aware that the appraisal district has been hit with another wave of Covid. Only one of our employees has avoided the new strain while the remainder of us are quarantined. In an effort to keep the community safe and the guidelines set forth by the CDC the appraisal district was forced to temporarily close. I want to assure all our taxpayers that every right to which you are entitled will be honored.
We plan to reopen the office Monday, July 18, 2022 and will begin working with taxpayers to share information and attempt to resolve cases where possible. Even though our values have continued to be driven up by an extremely active market, homeowners with a homestead exemption in the prior year are protected from any increase greater than 10% of the appraised value. Additionally, if the owner is over-65 or disabled, taxes are frozen or capped and even though the value may rise, taxes will not rise.
Most of you know that our work is audited by the state comptroller, and we must be near current selling prices. Those prices, until just recently, have risen dramatically. We must appraise the property accurately so that our local schools will not lose any state funding.
Our Appraisal Review Board members will be delayed in meeting as they are a vulnerable group, but they will ultimately hear all appeals that cannot be settled by the staff or members of Western Appraisal.
I am sincerely sorry for the timing of all of this. We will work diligently to ensure that every property owner’s rights are protected and that hearings are finalized in a timely manner.
Heather Donahoo, Chief Appraiser
