County Casts Vote for New Appraisal District Board Members

UPDATED 9/26/2017 3:10 p.m.

SAN ANGELO, TX — Tom Green County Commissioners Tuesday cast their 22.35 percent of votes for the 2017-2018 members of the board of directors of the Tom Green County Appraisal District, which is the entity that sets the value of all property in the County.  

Both the Commissioner’s Court and the Appraisal District came under fire this summer when appraisals on many properties skyrocketed and the County increased the property tax rate under pressure from the legislature and criminal justice costs.  

The new board will be made up of basically the same people on last term's board. They are Bob Reeves, John Begnaud, John Conn, Luis Gomez, and Russel DeVore. According to Commissioner Aubrey DeCordova (Pct. 2), when the county population grows to 125,000, State law requires a taxpayer liason. Commissioners nominated Stanley Mayfield of Mayfield Paper to fill that role. The county is not at 125,000 yet, but the position may be filled in case population estimates reach 125,000 people this fiscal year.

The Tom Green County Appraisal District Board members serve two year terms, starting on odd-numbered years.

Each taxing entity in the County has a percentage of votes to elect appraisal board members depending on the size of the taxing body.  The San Angelo Independent School District has the largest percentage of the votes for appraisal board members because it collects the most taxes.  The City of San Angelo is next followed by the county, then the other school districts and special districts including water and emergency services districts.  

Commissioners also approved applying for the 2018 Indigent Defense Formula Grant program.  Counties are required by state law to pay for attorneys for indigent defendants and the state is supposed to reimburse counties for a portion of that cost.  Tom Green County has 15 potential capital murder cases pending and most of the defendants in those cases have been declared indigent, so taxpayers will foot the bill for their defense attorneys.  Commissioners expect indigent defense to exceed $2 million this fiscal year.   

Also on Tuesday the Court approved applying for a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department local parks program grant for Pugh Park in Christoval and Harper Park in Water Valley and awarded a bid for a low water crossing at the new Tom Green County Jail.