Tarrant Appraisal District board election offers historic first for county voters
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Tarrant Appraisal District board election offers historic first for county voters

Left to right: Tarrant Appraisal District board candidates Sayeda Bilqees Syed, Trae Fowler and Eric Morris speak at a forum co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Fort Worth Report on April 17, 2024, at Texas A&M University School of Law. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
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This story will be updated with election results after the polls close.

Tarrant County voters will make history May 4 when they elect three new faces to the Tarrant Appraisal District’s board of directors. 

This is the first time residents have a direct say in who sits on the board. Up to this point, board members have been elected by taxing entities such as school boards and city councils. A constitutional amendment approved by voters in November changed that by creating three new at-large positions in Texas’ 50 largest counties. 

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Board members govern the appraisal district. They are responsible for selecting the chief appraiser, adopting the annual budget and ensuring the district follows procedures set by law. The board does not appraise property. Board members are not paid.

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Eight candidates have filed to run in the three at-large elections. They are:

Place 1

Eric Morris

Sayeda Bilqees Syed

Trae Fowler

Place 2

Callie Rigney

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Eric B. Crile

Place 3

Chuck Kelley

Lee Henderson

Matt Bryant

The Fort Worth Report co-hosted a candidate forum with the League of Women Voters on April 17, where candidates discussed their policy priorities if elected. 

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While the positions are nonpartisan by law, they have drawn strong attention from area Republican leaders. Seven of the eight candidates on the ballot identify as Republicans. County Judge Tim O’Hare’s decision to make endorsements in the races drew criticism from some candidates. Candidate Chuck Kelley also criticized O’Hare for allegedly pressuring Kelley not to run after he filed a candidate application with O’Hare’s office. 

Those given the voters’ stamp of approval will join the tax assessor-collector and five board members elected by the taxing entities, starting July 1. The election comes after a leadership overhaul in the district and the hiring of new Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt in December.

Two of the three elected board members will serve four-year terms; they will draw straws to determine who will serve a two-year term ahead of the November 2026 election. After 2026, all elected board members will serve four-year terms moving forward.

Among the board’s top tasks in the coming months is tightening the district’s cybersecurity following a ransomware attack that resulted in leaked taxpayer information. The district extended its deadline to protest a residential property valuation after the attack delayed access to TAD’s online protest tool. Residents have until May 24 to challenge an appraisal.

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