Local News
County to appeal Malakoff appraisal
Comptroller’s Office says numbers are too low
A statewide reported released by the Comptroller’s Office has rated Henderson County’s property appraisals as generally on target, but that doesn’t mean the county agrees with the state’s assessment completely.
The Henderson County Appraisal District plans to appeal the state’s findings concerning one county school district in the State Comptroller’s 2009 Property Tax study, Chief Appraiser Bill Jackson said.
The comptroller’s property tax division conducts the property value study annually to estimate a school district’s taxable property values and to measure the central appraisal district’s performance. Property appraisal role values are divided by their market values, which result in a ratio measuring the CAD’s effectiveness.
“We got a good report overall. Malakoff values were low,” Jackson said. “We are filing an appeal.”
HCAD has until March 11 to submit the appeal.
The state accepted the HCAD calculations for the Athens, Brownsboro, Cross Roads, Eustace, LaPoynor, Murchison and Trinidad school districts. Malakoff’s numbers were said to be invalid, but the school district is currently under a one-year grace period.
During a grace period, the local appraisal role value is accepted even though the study rules the local appraisal role values invalid. To qualify for the grace period, the local assessments must have been ruled acceptable by the state for the previous two-year period.
HCAD assessed Malakoff’s taxable value at $898,112,800 as opposed to $950,677,787 in the state study.
The report states that the primary use of the study is to help equalize school funding. The secondary use of the study is to assess an appraisal district’s performance.
“I don’t have any problem with the property tax values from the state,” Jackson said. “For the most part they’ve done a pretty good job. It’s a pretty good study.”
By statute, the appraisal district must appraise the property at market value. Jackson said his office has a good record of doing that.
“We’ve been fortunate in Henderson County. We have a good staff of people. We have experience here that helps considerably,” he said.
HCAD is currently compiling its 2009 numbers to send out notices in April.
“We haven’t started running numbers yet. The target date is March 15. We usually hit it pretty close,” Jackson said.
- Local News
-
-
Three arrested on drug charges
Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt reports four recent arrests by west-end investigators that solved an Athens-area car burglary, and a Malakoff jewelry theft.
-
Hoofbeats pound pavement in the rain
Splash, splash, splash went the hoofbeats as New Hampshire native Bob Skelding’s horse-drawn wagon rolled through Henderson County Monday.
-
Highway 175 proves to be busy chase route
U.S. Highway 175 has been a busy strip of roadway lately with offenders attempting to outrun law officers in vehicle chases.
-
Preparations for March 2 primary elections in full swing
Preparations for the March 2 primary elections are in full swing at the Henderson County Election Center.
-
Cruising the seas
Ewald and Doris Albers take the Athens Daily Review with them on their cruise to Honduras and Mexico, aboard the Voyager of the Seas.
-
Time to get busy pruning
February is here and it is time to get busy, for fruit growers that is, pruning fruit trees in East Texas.
-
SAR honors a good corporate citizen
Athens Chapter Sons of the American Revolution President Charles Luna, right, presents First State Bank, Athens Vice President Michael Neill with the Community Service Award for funding its Eagle Scout Scholarship, the Jeff Austin, Senior Scholarship.
-
ETMC Auxiliary Report
To those of you who have considered joining our auxiliary but haven’t done it yet, I wish you could have been at the Feb. 3 meeting.
-
ETGS to focus on writing
The East Texas Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting on Saturday, February 13, at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Auditorium at the Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College, Tyler.
-
Financial gifts for your valentine
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so you’d better get going with the flowers and chocolates for your sweetie.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Three arrested on drug charges
