By Pleasanton Express Staff | on July 27, 2022
T he Atascosa Central Appraisal District’s Chief Appraiser told me verbally that budgets for appraisal districts are based on parcel count. The board and her have pulled down budgets from other appraisal districts that are as much as twice as big as our county. So, what is a parcel? It is an identifiable taxing unit for property tax. It can be a “real parcel,” a personal property item (mobile home not on the owner’s property), or an oil and gas parcel.
This Chief Appraiser claims 74,000 parcels while Kerr, Medina and Wilson Counties claim 40 to 42,000. This sounds like Atascosa Central Appraisal District has much more to do than those counties. But, those three counties do not have thousands of mineral and gas parcels like Atascosa County.
That is why the Chief Appraiser’s argument stating they have 74,000 parcels (current) to appraise could be considered misleading. Please see the chart from the State Comptroller’s office:
This chart clearly shows a total parcel count (2021) of 72,044, including 2,504 “non-real” parcels, which are personal property. And the mineral and gas parcel count is 32,547. This leaves 36,993 “real parcels,” which I am sure will increase yearly. The 2022 budget for the Atascosa Central Appraisal District includes $163,000 for outside appraisal services that appraise oil and gas parcels. This precludes a need for our own personnel to appraise oil and gas. Now for some interesting facts – the “real parcels” are LESS than Kerr, Wilson, or Medina. The three comparison counties only have six (6) appraisers, while ACAD thinks they need a seventh (7). ACAD also has three more staff than two of the comparison counties and one more than the other.
The county auditor and I have created an “alternative budget’’ which cuts the new add of one appraiser and one unfilled clerical job to help find the money to improve the salaries for the others. The “alternative budget” restructures the lower-paying jobs to bring them up to market studies and provides for nice COLA increases for all others. This “alternative budget” produces about an 8% increase, lower than any that have come from the Central Appraisal District. This accomplishes a lot for the ACAD. I suggest the ACAD board return next year and re-add the clerk and appraiser if they think it is still needed. I strongly support the people that work for ACAD being appropriately paid. I believe this “alternative budget” shows that.
BOB HURLEY is the Atascosa County Judge. You may email him at countyjudge@ atascosacounty.texas.gov.
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