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A couple holds a sign reading "Home Sweet Home"
Notices of appraised values are hitting mailboxes throughout Southeast Texas, with the Jefferson Central Appraisal District (JCAD) mailing out notices of preliminary 2022 property values between April 15 and May 16.
“State law requires our office to appraise property at its market value, being the value the property would sell for,” JCAD correspondence details. “If your property did not recently sell, our office must base your appraised value based on the sales prices of similar properties.
“If you do not agree with your valuation, you must file a written notice of protest in order to discuss your property with an appraiser.”
The protest deadline is 30 days after notice is mailed, a date printed on each preliminary notice. A protest form is included in each mailing, and notifies property owners of hearing types available: telephone conference, Zoom video conference, in person, and via written affidavit.
Protests can be filed through the US Postal Service to PO Box 21337, Beaumont TX 77720; hand delivered to the JCAD office at 4610 S. Fourth in Beaumont; emailed to protests@jcad.org; or through the Online Protests portal of the JCAD website eprotest.jcad.org.
Those wanting to protest the preliminary property value noted in JCAD mailings are urged to collect evidence now for review. Once a protest is filed, owners will receive notice of a protest hearing with the date and time of the formal hearing with the ARB (Administrative Review Board). Upon receipt of a hearing date, protesters are then asked to email or hand deliver protest evidence as soon as possible.
For more information, visit jcad.org or call (409) 840-9944.
Residents will have more than just an appraisal district review process this year to make their voices heard regarding issues affecting property taxes, however. On the May 7 election ballot, Texans will be asked to vote on two constitutional amendments – both addressing property taxation. More specifically, the amendments address property taxation by local school districts.
The amendments referred to voters this May by the Texas State Legislature include a measure that would authorize the legislature “to reduce the limit on property taxes imposed on the homesteads of elderly or disabled residents to reflect any tax rate reduction enacted by law from the preceding tax year,” as well as a measure to increase the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000.
In a letter to voters, Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott offers assistance to voters with questions related to the proposed constitutional amendments via the toll-free office number: 1-800-252-VOTE (8683), or online at www.sos.texas.gov.