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March 27, 2023
BANDERA COUNTY TESTING OF TABULATING EQUIPMENT
(PROBAR de CONDADO de BANDERA DE TABULAR el EQUIPO)
TEXAS ELECTION CODE (SEC. 127.093) REQUIRES TESTING OF THE AUTOMATIC TABULATING EQUIPMENT AT LEAST 48 HOURS BEFORE THE AUTOMATIC TABULATION EQUIPMENT IS USED TO COUNT BALLOTS FOR THE Bandera ISD School Bond Special Election. THIS TESTING WILL BE HELD ON Wednesday April 5, 2023 at 8:00 A.M. AT THE LOCATION OF 403 12TH STREET, BANDERA, TEXAS. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE ELECTIONS OFFICE at 830-796-8146.
El CODIGO de la ELECCION de TEJAS (la SEC. 127.093) REQUIERE PROBAR DEL EQUIPO AUTOMATICO que TABULA 48 HORAS ANTES EL EQUIPO AUTOMATICO de TABULACION se USA para CONTAR las VOTACIONES PARA 6 de mayo de 2023 Elección especial. ESTA PROBAR SERA AGUANTADO, Martes 5 de abril de 2023, A LAS 8:00 DE LA MAÑANA. EN LA UBICACION DE 403 CALLE DUODECIMA, BANDERA, TEJAS. ABRA AL PUBLICO. SI USTED NECESITA MAS INFORMACION O TIENE CUALQUIERA PREGUNTA, LLAMA POR FAVOR A LA OFICINA, Elecciones del Condado de Bandera al 830-796-8146.
El CODIGO de la ELECCION de TEJAS (la SEC. 127.093) REQUIERE PROBAR DEL EQUIPO AUTOMATICO que TABULA 48 HORAS ANTES EL EQUIPO AUTOMATICO de TABULACION se USA para CONTAR las VOTACIONES PARA 6 de mayo de 2023 Elección especial. ESTA PROBAR SERA AGUANTADO, Martes 5 de abril de 2023, A LAS 8:00 DE LA MAÑANA. EN LA UBICACION DE 403 CALLE DUODECIMA, BANDERA, TEJAS. ABRA AL PUBLICO. SI USTED NECESITA MAS INFORMACION O TIENE CUALQUIERA PREGUNTA, LLAMA POR FAVOR A LA OFICINA, Elecciones del Condado de Bandera al 830-796-8146.
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March 7, 2023
Updated Property Tax Information Now Available for Texas Taxpayers
New and updated property tax information has just been compiled by the Bandera Central Appraisal District and is available now to assist taxpayers. This property tax information is current and covers a wide range of topics, such as taxpayer remedies, exemptions, and appraisals, and has information for select groups, such as disabled veterans and persons age 65 or older.
“Whether you are a homeowner, business owner, disabled veteran or taxpayer, it’s important you know your rights concerning the property tax laws.” said Maria Garcia, Interim Chief Appraiser of the Bandera Central Appraisal District. “You can contact us about any property tax issues with full confidence that we will provide you the most complete, accurate and up-to-date available information to assist you.”
This includes information about the following programs:
For more information about these programs, contact the:
Bandera Central Appraisal District
1206 Main Street – P.O. Box 1119
Bandera, TX 78003
www.bancad.org
Phone: (830) 796-3039 Fax: (830) 460-3672
Information is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.
“Whether you are a homeowner, business owner, disabled veteran or taxpayer, it’s important you know your rights concerning the property tax laws.” said Maria Garcia, Interim Chief Appraiser of the Bandera Central Appraisal District. “You can contact us about any property tax issues with full confidence that we will provide you the most complete, accurate and up-to-date available information to assist you.”
This includes information about the following programs:
- Property Tax Exemptions for Disabled Veterans - The law provides partial exemptions for any property owned by disabled veterans or surviving spouses and surviving children of deceased disabled veterans. Another partial exemption is for homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable organizations at no cost or not more than 50 percent of the good faith estimate of the homestead’s market value to the disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. The exemption amount is determined according to percentage of service-connected disability. The law also provides a 100 percent homestead exemption for 100 percent disabled veterans and their surviving spouses and surviving spouses of U.S. armed service members killed in action.
- Property Tax Exemptions – Non-profit organizations that meet statutory requirements may seek property tax exemptions and must apply to their county appraisal district by a specific date. Businesses that receive tax abatements granted by taxing units; ship inventory out of Texas that may be eligible for the freeport exemption; store certain goods in transit in warehouses that are moved within 175 days; construct, install or acquire pollution control property; own and operate energy storage systems; convert landfill-generated gas; or store offshore drilling equipment while not in use may also be eligible for statutory exemptions.
- Rendering Taxable Property - If a business owns tangible personal property that is used to produce income, the business must file a rendition with its local county appraisal district by a specified date. Personal property includes inventory and equipment used by a business. Owners do not have to render exempt property such as church property or an agriculture producer’s equipment used for farming.
- Appraisal Notices – Normally, taxpayers receive a notice of appraised value from the appropriate local appraisal district. The city, county, school districts and other local taxing units will use the appraisal district’s value to set property taxes for the coming year.
- Property Taxpayer Remedies – This Comptroller publication explains in detail how to protest a property appraisal, what issues the county appraisal review board (ARB) can consider and what to expect during a protest hearing. The publication also discusses the options to request limited binding arbitration to compel the ARB or chief appraiser to comply with a procedural requirement and the options of taking a taxpayer’s case to district court, the State Office of Administrative Hearings or binding arbitration if the taxpayer is dissatisfied with the outcome of the ARB hearing.
- Homestead Exemptions – A homestead is generally defined as the home and land used as the owner’s principal residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year. A person who acquires property after Jan. 1 may receive the residence homestead exemption for the applicable portion of that tax year immediately on qualification for that tax year. A homestead exemption reduces the home’s appraised value of the home and, as a result, lowers property taxes. Applications are submitted to the appropriate local county appraisal district.
- Productivity Appraisal – Property owners who use land for timberland production, agricultural purposes or wildlife management can be granted property tax relief on their land. They may apply to their local county appraisal district for an agricultural special appraisal which may result in a lower appraisal of the land based on production, versus market value.
- Residence Homestead Tax Deferral - Texas homeowners may postpone paying the currently delinquent property taxes due on the appreciating value of their homes by filing a tax deferral affidavit at their local county appraisal district. This tax relief allows homeowners to pay the property taxes on 105 percent of the preceding year’s appraised value of their homestead, plus the taxes on any new improvements to the homestead. The deferral postpones the remaining taxes, with interest accruing at 8 percent per year but does not cancel them.
- Property Tax Deferral for Persons Age 65 or Older or Disabled or Disabled Veteran Homeowners – Texans who are age 65 or older or disabled, as defined by law, or who qualify for a disabled veteran exemption may postpone paying current and delinquent property taxes on their homes by signing a tax deferral affidavit. Once the affidavit is on file, taxes are deferred, but not cancelled, as long as the owner continues to own and live in the home. Interest continues to accrue at 5 percent per year on the unpaid taxes. You may obtain a deferral affidavit at the appraisal district.
- Notice of Availability of Electronic Communication – In appraisal districts located in counties with a population of more than 200,000 or that have authorized electronic communications, and that have implemented a system that allows such communications, chief appraisers and ARBs may communicate electronically through email or other media with property owners or their designated representatives. Written agreements are required for notices and other documents to be delivered electronically instead of mailing.
- Protesting Property Appraisal Values – Property owners who disagree with the appraisal district’s appraisal of their property for local taxes or for any other action that adversely affects them may protest their property value to the appraisal district’s ARB.
- Informal Meetings – Property owners can request an informal meeting with the appraisal district staff to try and resolve their disputes prior to attending ARB hearings.
For more information about these programs, contact the:
Bandera Central Appraisal District
1206 Main Street – P.O. Box 1119
Bandera, TX 78003
www.bancad.org
Phone: (830) 796-3039 Fax: (830) 460-3672
Information is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.
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March 6, 2023
Bandera Appraisal District values fall below state assignment
Schools in Bandera County are again faced with losing state funding because the locally appraised values of homes and businesses did not reach the 95% of sales prices, the ratio mandated in state law. The appraisal district and local schools learned of the study results in early February.
Market sales of homes and rural land were the chief contributors to the failure. For homes on lots, the state comptroller set the total value at $1,601,678,537 compared to the local value of $1,382,088,410. Homes on acreage values were set at $1,371,994,962 compared to locally set values of $1,227,616,352. Additionally, the state study indicated that land value was well below sales data and assigned a value of $267,308,854 compared to local values of $166,373,031. Commercial property (local businesses) also were behind state values by $93 million. The overall values of all property in Bandera ISD were assigned by the state at $2,676,222,417 while local values totaled $2,281,239,429.
In the Medina school district, state values also fell well below local values with homes on rural land being set by the state at $414,982,681 compared to local values of $345,224,092. Overall values in Medina were assigned total values of $422,159,101 compared to local values of $345,950,353.
Utopia ISD also fell short of assigned state values by $136 million with most of the issue being homes on acreage.
For all schools, the results mean potential losses of state funding. Appeals have been filed by attorneys for the schools, but the differences are so significant that the appeals are unlikely to bring the schools into compliance.
Maria Garcia, Interim Chief Appraiser for Bandera Central Appraisal District, lamented the results.
“It is really bad news for all of us in Bandera County. This means that we will have to increase values again this year after large increases in the past two years. District values were increased over $660 million last year in Bandera and $97 million in Medina, but the market has been so unexpected that we didn’t shoot high enough. We are watching the market for a hopeful downturn but are not yet seeing lower sales prices.”
“There is some good news for local taxpayers,” said Garcia. “Persons with a homestead exemption are limited to a 10% increase from the prior year, and that will help to restrict major increases for homeowners. Also, for homesteaded properties whose owners are over 65 or disabled, their school taxes are capped so nothing will change for them on their school taxes, regardless of the value changes.”
Notices will be sent to taxpayers whose value has increased in May. A protest form will be included as well as instructions on how to file a protest online.
“We just want to get the values correct so that the local schools will be fully funded,” said Ms. Garcia. “If taxpayers have evidence that we are wrong, we will gladly correct our values. Good evidence to bring to the district are recent purchase paperwork, recent fee appraisals, repair estimates or interior pictures showing problems areas that would impact sales prices.”
Values will not be set until May.
Market sales of homes and rural land were the chief contributors to the failure. For homes on lots, the state comptroller set the total value at $1,601,678,537 compared to the local value of $1,382,088,410. Homes on acreage values were set at $1,371,994,962 compared to locally set values of $1,227,616,352. Additionally, the state study indicated that land value was well below sales data and assigned a value of $267,308,854 compared to local values of $166,373,031. Commercial property (local businesses) also were behind state values by $93 million. The overall values of all property in Bandera ISD were assigned by the state at $2,676,222,417 while local values totaled $2,281,239,429.
In the Medina school district, state values also fell well below local values with homes on rural land being set by the state at $414,982,681 compared to local values of $345,224,092. Overall values in Medina were assigned total values of $422,159,101 compared to local values of $345,950,353.
Utopia ISD also fell short of assigned state values by $136 million with most of the issue being homes on acreage.
For all schools, the results mean potential losses of state funding. Appeals have been filed by attorneys for the schools, but the differences are so significant that the appeals are unlikely to bring the schools into compliance.
Maria Garcia, Interim Chief Appraiser for Bandera Central Appraisal District, lamented the results.
“It is really bad news for all of us in Bandera County. This means that we will have to increase values again this year after large increases in the past two years. District values were increased over $660 million last year in Bandera and $97 million in Medina, but the market has been so unexpected that we didn’t shoot high enough. We are watching the market for a hopeful downturn but are not yet seeing lower sales prices.”
“There is some good news for local taxpayers,” said Garcia. “Persons with a homestead exemption are limited to a 10% increase from the prior year, and that will help to restrict major increases for homeowners. Also, for homesteaded properties whose owners are over 65 or disabled, their school taxes are capped so nothing will change for them on their school taxes, regardless of the value changes.”
Notices will be sent to taxpayers whose value has increased in May. A protest form will be included as well as instructions on how to file a protest online.
“We just want to get the values correct so that the local schools will be fully funded,” said Ms. Garcia. “If taxpayers have evidence that we are wrong, we will gladly correct our values. Good evidence to bring to the district are recent purchase paperwork, recent fee appraisals, repair estimates or interior pictures showing problems areas that would impact sales prices.”
Values will not be set until May.
