Six Travis County homeowners last week filed a motion to intervene in the city’s lawsuit against the Travis Central Appraisal District. Representing those homeowners are three attorneys experienced in representing property owners who believe their property has been overvalued. Attorneys Lorri Michel and Bill Aleshire of Austin and attorney Joseph M. Harrison of Floresville filed […]
Travis Central Appraisal District
The tax appraisal district for Travis County.
Posted inAustin
City to file suit, announces cooperation with TCAD
The city of Austin will file suit in state district court this afternoon against the Travis Central Appraisal District challenging what the city calls the undervaluation of commercial and vacant properties in the city of Austin and seeking a declaration that the current tax appraisal system is unconstitutional. Mayor Steve Adler and Mayor Pro Tem […]
Posted inAustin
TCAD appraisal letter worries some citizens
Retired U.S. Air Force Technical Sgt. Henry Boothe was surprised and worried when he received a letter from the Travis Central Appraisal District in early August informing him that the city of Austin had filed an appeal of TCAD’s commercial and vacant land values. He was also surprised to learn that some of his property […]
Posted inBudget
Lower tax rate, higher tax bill in Travis County’s draft budget
Travis County’s property tax rate is expected to dip during the next budget cycle, but taxpayers shouldn’t necessarily expect lower bills. According to the preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2016, the rate will drop by 6.62 percent. However, rising property values mean that the owner of a home with the average taxable value of $262,199 […]
Posted inEnvironment
Council likely to purchase endangered species tract
Despite questions about the price from City Council Member Don Zimmerman, Council appears poised to move forward Thursday with the purchase of a significant tract of land in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The tract is within Zimmerman’s District 6. City real estate specialist Junie Plummer told Council on Tuesday that an independent appraiser had appraised […]
Posted inAustin
Austin relocates tax appraisal challenge
While the city of Austin will continue to pursue its challenge of the Travis Central Appraisal District’s valuation of commercial properties, it has chosen a new venue for the fight. Mayor Steve Adler said during yesterday’s City Council meeting that city legal staff will move their challenge from the Appraisal Review Board to a district court, thereby […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County takes no action on appraisals
Travis County Commissioners voted on Friday to do nothing. That was the decision in a rare special voting session called to address the city of Austin’s decision to challenge commercial property tax appraisals. The commissioners had before them three options: file their own challenge of the appraisals, direct county attorneys to participate in the city’s […]
Posted inCity Council
Council moves forward with appraisal challenge
City Council presented a united front yesterday and voted unanimously to file a petition challenging the Travis Central Appraisal District’s valuation of commercial properties this year. On May 19, the city released a report that showed undervaluation of commercial properties by an average of 47 percent from 2012 to 2014. Many reason that this disparity has […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Regional leaders sound off on appraisal challenge
In preparation for tomorrow’s decision, City Council members sat down with leaders from regional taxing entities Tuesday to discuss the pros and cons of challenging the Travis Central Appraisal District’s valuation of Austin commercial properties this year. Those in attendance included representatives and legal counsel for Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Central Health, Austin Community […]
Posted inAustin
Property tax system messed up; nobody happy
A property tax appraisal forum hosted by Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea on Tuesday told two sides of the same story: No one is happy with the property tax system. The forum, Shea’s second, included a panel of city officials and tax experts: Mayor Steve Adler, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, Travis County Tax Collector-Assessor […]
Posted inAustin
Council may challenge “undervalued” appraisals
Following the release of a report stating that Austin commercial property in Travis County is “significantly undervalued,” City Council is considering an appraisal challenge that could reduce the burden on residential property taxpayers. Council discussed the potential move at a Tuesday work session, during which Budget Office and Law Department staff said the city would […]
Posted inAustin
Regional Affordability Committee takes first steps
Though they have a long road ahead of them, members of Austin’s Regional Affordability Committee are taking a measured approach to developing a strategic plan to achieve their goals. Rather than take action at their second meeting on Monday, members made several requests for information from Budget Office staff and agreed to develop and adopt […]