THE CHIEF'S APPRAISAL: The 2011 appraisal process is now done — what's next?
The appraisal process for 2011 is complete. We have appraised all taxable property within the county. We’ve notified all the property owners of our determination of the market value of their property. We have concluded all the scheduled Appraisal Review Board hearings for all legally filed protests. The Appraisal Review Board members have heard evidence and ruled on all the protests and have approved the appraisal records. I have certified taxable values to all taxing entities and we are in the process of calculating the effective and roll back tax rates. The taxing entities are working on their budgets and will soon be publishing their proposed tax rates. They will hold individual tax rate hearings during August and September before adoption of their 2011 rates. In October we will apply the adopted tax rates to your property’s taxable value and prepare the 2011 property tax statements for mailing.
The 2011 taxes for residence homestead property will be based on the taxable value of the property which is the value after capping an increase from the previous year at ten percent (if applicable) and by further reducing the value to reflect the residential homestead exemptions for which the property owner qualifies.
There are several exemptions available to property owners for their principal residence including homestead, disability, over age 65, and disabled veteran. We still have well over a thousand property owners who have not filed applications in order to get the residential homestead exemption reduction benefit on their taxes. After having mailed applications at least twice a year to everyone who it appears qualifies for the exemption, putting exemption notices in the newspaper, calling property owners that have a land line and still not receiving their applications, we are at a loss now as to how to get their attention. There are businesses, mostly out of the Austin area, which help property owners file the applications.
However, they do so for 30 percent of the tax. Property owners provide these businesses with the information that the law requires and then the business sends the application to our office.
We know we are the government and “we are here to help” sometimes falls on deaf ears, but then again, sometimes we really can help you. We want taxpayers to fulfill their responsibilities but at the same time, we want you to get all the benefits to which you are entitled. The exemption process is the same whether you do it yourself through our office or you complete the application and provide the required documentation (driver’s license) and send it to someone in Austin who sends it to us. I actually recommend that you do not send a copy of your driver’s license to someone outside of our office in order to get your homestead exemption. Furthermore, if you file directly with us, there is no charge to you.
The law allows property owners to file a late application for the previous year and if taxes are paid, a refund is issued. You are entitled to all of that refund not just 70 percent of the refund.
Our website at www.ectorcad.org has exemption information listed on each property. We are asking you to check your property and that of your family, friends and neighbors to see if you can help someone by identifying and encouraging them to apply for the tax benefit.
