Last November’s election brought changes to the makeup of the Harris County Appraisal District board, finally giving voters an opportunity to weigh in. Voter-approved Proposition 4 included a provision allowing for the election of appraisal district board members in counties with a population of 75,000 or more.
HCAD’s board, which, until now, consisted of the county tax assessor-collector and appointed members of the various governing bodies of the county, city, school districts, and community colleges, will add three new elected members to its ranks.
Established in 1980, HCAD is the largest appraisal district in the state and one of the largest in the country. It annually appraises the 1.9 million parcels of property for property tax purposes for each of the nearly 1,000 taxing units within its boundaries. They estimate the total market value of their assessed property to be roughly $895 billion, and the district’s fiscal year 2024 budget was $117 million.
The election will be held on May 4, and new members will take office on July 1 for a term of service that ends December 31, 2026.
To be eligible, candidates have to live in the county, not owe delinquent property taxes, not have represented owners in proceedings before the board or have been employed by the district within the three preceding years, or be related to anyone who financially stands to benefit from the appraisal process.
According to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s office, six candidates have, so far, filed to run:
Place 1: Ramsey Isa Ankar and William “Bill” Reinhardt Frazer
Place 2: Kyle Anthony Scott and Janice W. Hines
Place 3: James L. Bill and Amy Ngo Lacy
Those wanting to apply for a place on the ballot must submit their applications to Judge Hidalgo and either pay a $400 filing fee or submit 500 petition signatures of registered Harris County voters.
