WASHINGTON CO. APPRAISAL DISTRICT AWAITS RESULTS OF APPEAL OF ‘INVALID’ VALUES

APPRAISAL NOTICES TO BE SENT OUT BY END OF MAY; MOST RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY INCREASING 20-25 PERCENT

  

As some Washington County property owners prepare for higher appraised values with notices going out later this month, the appraisal district continues to wait on the outcome of its appeal of certain values being classified as “invalid” by the state due to being too low.

Chief Appraiser Dyann White said in a news release today (Friday) that results from the State Comptroller’s preliminary property value study in January showed that Washington County’s 2021 appraised values for Brenham and Burton ISDs were about 7 percent below those of the state at 93 percent.  When the difference between local values assessed by the appraisal district and the state values determined by the Comptroller is greater than 5 percent, the value is deemed “invalid” for the year.

White said the only result of the invalid score for 2021 is that it will have another value study performed for 2022, when studies are normally done every other year.

If an appraisal district appraises below market value, the state can fund the school using values as determined by the Comptroller rather than the locally appraised values.  When that happens, the school district loses money from the state.  If an appraisal district’s values are less than the Comptroller’s by more than 10 percent, they lose state funding.

According to White, the appraisal district chose not to appeal in Burton ISD because of too many sales that it “simply could not argue against,” as the sales showed appraisals “were in fact too low for rural land and residential property values.”  However, it did appeal findings in the study for Brenham ISD, and while White said the state has agreed with each change the district has requested, it has not been enough to overturn the invalid score so far.

White said values are not rising because of the 2021 property value study findings, but rather because of “what is happening in the Texas real estate market.”  She assured that 2022 appraisals “will be based on actual sales information and have nothing to do with local politics or the 2021 Comptroller study.”

The study's findings can be seen here.

The appraisal district anticipates mailing approximately 36,000 appraisal notices by the end of May.  White said appraisal notices usually go out in the first or second week of May, and that last year’s notices were mailed out on May 14th.  She said the office is about two weeks later in sending them out than expected, but it is taking the time needed to ensure a “fair and accurate” appraisal for citizens.

White said most residential property is increasing 20 to 25 percent, though some properties may be more or less depending on specific characteristics.  Once appraisals are finished, a report of the percentage change by property category will be published, and the appraisal district will be able to assist owners with questions and concerns at that time.

The appraisal district office will be closed for staff training on Thursday, May 19th from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The training will focus on assisting property owners that have questions about their appraisals, exemptions and/or protests.

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

13 Comments

  1. I voted against this version of the school bond proposal too, but y’all should know that the cost of the bond would have been spread evenly with the tax base. If the tax base increases by 10% then the tax rate decreases by 10% because the debt service is fixed. But maintenance and operations is not fixed, and those costs and your taxes will probably rise because we have to deal with older facilities for longer. Also because the cost of everything is rising. Even then, the tax rate will probably go down. See how that works?

    1. Solution: Elect the Chief Appraiser-Now the Chief Appraiser is paid by BISD, Brenham, and Wash. County. She does what she is told.

      Stop the State Comptroller from overruling the Appraisal Districts values as too low. How does Austin know what are values are?

      Write Lois Kolkhorst, Dan Patrick, and Paul Bettencourt, they are the powers in Austin. Changing the process will require a constitutional amendment. January 2023 is when it begins.

      1. I don’t think you understand. If every single property increases by 10% then the tax rate goes down by 10% and everybody pays the same tax bill they paid last year if the city and county and everybody else don’t vote to increase their spending. If there’s a crash in values and they go down then the tax rate goes up to keep the budget the same.

        Local budget hearings are happening in the near future and I don’t see anybody commenting on those articles. Those decisions are local and they’re already made by the people we elect. That’s where the difference gets made.

        Only government spending results in government taxation.

        Keep your eye on the ball and tell our elected folks and the heavy hitters in the lege to cut costs. Tell them how you want them to cut costs. If you only tell them to make the revenue side more convoluted, that’s exactly what you’ll get from them is exactly what you deserve, which is a shell game.

  2. Pretty sneaky how the bond issue was voted on prior to the release this information. I’m so sick of this!!! Just because they say it, then it must be so? I think it time for a cleansing. Get more reasonable frugal minded officials to make better decisions for our community and allocation of the taxes we pay in each year. So let me get this straight, the tax revenue from all the new homes being built, the new shopping centers, and new businesses coming our way isn’t going to increase the revenue? What kind of math are they doing at the tax office? Must be that fan-dangled common core

    1. Most of the new businesses receive tax incentives to locate their businesses here. All of those new businesses and new homes mean that we need to provide more services. We also have the state saying that that the appraisal values, which are already increasing by 20-25%, are not increasing by enough! The problem isn’t just at the local level. The state is taxing people out of their homes!

  3. The sad thing about all this bottom line is the Govt. is going to be digging in our pockets till they are empty cause they can not control spending they are like an eighteen year old with a Corvette and a credit card. Higher values on your property means higher taxes you pay. We need better representation for our taxation.

  4. Does anyone know when they inspect properties to ‘assess’ the value? The taxes have steadily increased and we have done nothing to our property, but mow. If we knew then they inspect, we could make our property look less than ideal to help our own selves. Either taxes increase or the appraisal value increase. Double edge sword.

  5. Raising 20 to 25%!
    Thank God the Bond did not pass!
    I hope they can use the increase revenues to start drainage and roof repairs on the Jr. High.

    1. Repairs will not fix that building unless you want to sink 15 million into removing all the soil around it and waterproofing the entire first floor then repair all the walkways and outside elements of the building. By the bond not passing you have guaranteed the school board will raise their tax rate the maximum they can to help pay for the other so called fluff items in the bond to make locker rooms title 9 compliance. Then we will still have to vote on a bond again in two years for a new school which at that point cost as much just fir the school as the entire bond that just did not pass for much more then just a new school. But hey everyone on here knows it all and am sure have signed up to help with the next bond committee

    2. Please let me explain that school taxes could triple and BISD would not receive one extra dollar!!! Your schools taxes are sent to the State of Texas and BISD receives a set amount for each student who is enrolled in the district.

      1. So what does the State of Texas do with the rest of the money? Say, if some children are homeschool and obviously parents are paying taxes… where does that money go? Since BISD only gets money for students enrolled….?

      2. Well you are the BISD president tell us what needs to be done so that school tax is not tripled. What is your solution? The price to survive is high and many are in danger of losing their homes because of higher taxes along with higher fuel,food,and education. The straw is on the camels back now. We need to be watching those in charge of our tax dollars to make sure we the people are put first after all we are the ones paying for it all and we do not need to be put on the spot because of careless use of taxpayer contributes.

Back to top button