[00:00:20] JAMES VALADEZ: GOOD MORNING. [1. Call to Order] I'D LIKE TO CALL THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ORDER. THE TIME IS 11:30 ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY [2. Establishment of Quorum] 13, 2025, WE'RE CONDUCTING THIS MEETING AT TCAD HEADQUARTERS, LOCATED AT 850 EAST ANDERSON LANE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND A QUORUM IS PRESENT. WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING THIS MEETING THROUGH ONLINE BROADCAST AS A COURTESY. ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA IS CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO [3. Citizens Communication] SPEAK? LEANA MANN: WE DO NOT. JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR OF OUR [4. Appointment of Board Members to Standing Board Committees as Outlined in the Board Operating Policies] REGULAR AGENDA, WHICH IS APPOINTMENT OF BOARD MEMBERS TO STANDING BOARD COMMITTEES AS OUTLINED IN THE BOARD OPERATING POLICIES. PER SECTION 14 ON THE BOARD POLICIES, A COMMITTEE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED AND SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD CHAIRMAN FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR. A LIST OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES AND MY APPOINTMENTS FOR 2025 ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR BOARD PACKET. THE APPOINTMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS. WE NEED TO READ THESE IN OR WE JUST? LEANA MANN: YES PLEASE. JAMES VALADEZ: SO FOR THE GREAT THANK YOU FOR THE BOARD POLICIES COMMITTEE. JAMES VALADEZ, NICOLE CONLEY, DEBBIE CARTWRIGHT. FOR THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD COMMITTEE: DICK LAVINE, JETT HANNA AND DANIEL WANG. FOR THE CHIEF APPRAISERS REVIEW AND SEARCH COMMITTEE: JAMES VALADEZ, BLANCA ZAMARA GARCIA AND DICK LAVINE. FOR THE BIG DEPOSITORY COMMITTEE: NICOLE CONLEY, CELIA ISRAEL, AND JETT HANNA. FOR THE BUDGET COMMITTEE: NICOLE CONLEY, BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA AND DICK LAVINE. FOR THE CONTRACT REVIEW COMMITTEE: DEBBIE CARTWRIGHT, JOHN HAVENSTRITE, AND JETT HANNA. FOR THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE: DEBBIE CARTWRIGHT, CELIA ISRAEL AND DANIEL WANG. FOR THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE: JAMES VALADEZ, JOHN HAVENSTRITE, JETT HANNA. FOR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE: NICOLE CONLEY, CELIA ISRAEL, DICK LAVINE. FOR THE REAPPRAISAL PLAN COMMITTEE: DEBBIE CARTWRIGHT, BLANCA, ZAMORA GARCIA, DANIEL WANG. FOR THE TAXPAYER LIAISON COMMITTEE: JAMES VALADEZ, JOHN HAVENSTRITE AND DANIEL. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: MR. CHAIRMAN TO ASK A QUESTION. JAMES VALADEZ: YES. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I ASSUME I WAS TALKING EARLIER WITH MR. HAVENSTRITE THAT THE THESE COMMITTEES MEET AT VARIOUS TIMES AND SOMETIMES VERY IRREGULARLY, AND SOME OF THEM, I ASSUME THAT THE YOU, THE CHIEF APPRAISER, WILL NOTIFY US WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING. SO WE, NONE OF US, HAVE TO CALL A MEETING OR ARRANGE PLACES OR ANYTHING THAT AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, YOU WILL LET US KNOW THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO WORK. LEANA MANN: YES, I WILL. JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS THE CONSENT [5. Consent Agenda] AGENDA. THESE ITEMS MAY BE ACTED UPON BY ONE MOTION, NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OR VOTE ON ANY OF THE ITEMS WILL BE HAD UNLESS REQUESTED BY A BOARD MEMBER. THE CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 28, 2025 REGULAR MEETING, THE SECTION 2525B REPORT, ACCOUNTING STATEMENTS, BUDGET LINE ITEM TRANSFERS AND PERSONNEL REPORT. I'LL GIVE THE BOARD A FEW MINUTES TO REVIEW THESE ITEMS AND REQUEST ANY ITEMS TO BE PULLED BEFORE ENTERTAINING A MOTION TO PASS ON CONSENT. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: MISTER CHAIRMAN MAY I ASK THE CHIEF APPRAISER, QUICK QUESTION? JAMES VALADEZ: ABSOLUTELY DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDING WHAT 25.25B IS. WOULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT'S USUALLY ON THAT REPORT? LEANA MANN: OF COURSE. SO CHAPTER 2525 ALLOWS DIFFERENT CORRECTIONS TO THE APPRAISAL ROLE AFTER THE CERTIFICATION. SO 25.25B ARE CHANGES THAT ARE AUTHORIZED UNDER THE CODE FOR THE CHIEF APPRAISER TO MAKE, AND WE THEN PRESENT A REPORT TO THE BOARD EVERY QUARTER. AS WELL AS THE ARB. SO THESE ARE GENERAL, [00:05:03] GENERALLY CLERICAL CORRECTIONS, A LOT OF MOBILE HOMES THAT ARE NO LONGER ON THE ROLE. FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S A COMMON 2525B BUSINESSES THAT ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THEY GET THEIR TAX BILL, THEY LET US KNOW THEY'RE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS, AND WE CAN REMOVE THOSE FROM THE ROLE. SO 2525B OUTLINES EXACTLY WHAT CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE UNDER THAT SECTION. SO THAT'S ALL OF THESE. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I MAY ASK ONE MORE QUESTION. THE ON PAGE 25 HAS THIS LIST OF MONTHS THAT HAVEN'T PAID THEIR ALLOCATION. THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON, IS IT? LEANA MANN: NOW, THIS IS VERY COMMON. OKAY, THEY ONLY MEET MAYBE ONCE A QUARTER, AND SO THEY HAVE TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD, SO THEY GENERALLY PAY TOWARDS THE END OF THE QUARTER. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: OKAY. SO YOU DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THEM PAYING THEIR $3.08 OR WHATEVER IT IS. LEANA MANN: NO MA'AM. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: OKAY. THANK YOU. JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY BLANCA, SECONDED BY MS CARTWRIGHT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, AYE, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX, WHICH [6. Regular Agenda] IS OUR REGULAR AGENDA. FIRST ITEM IS SIX A DISCUSSION AND [a. Discussion and Possible Action on Taxpayer Liaison Report] POSSIBLE ACTION ON TAXPAYER LIAISON REPORT. THANK YOU. MS THOMPSON. BETTY THOMPSON, TAXPAYER LIAISON: GOOD MORNING. YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET MY STANDARD MONTHLY REPORTS, AND I'LL BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THEM, SINCE WE LAST MET IN JANUARY, THIS IS ONLY TWO MONTHS, TWO WEEKS OF ACTIVITY THAT YOU'RE SEEING. HOWEVER, I'M EXCITED THAT WE ARE GOING TO MEET MONTHLY, BECAUSE I WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT YOU MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORTS, RATHER THAN A ROLLING REPORT OF MY ACTIVITY THAT ENDS AT VERY DISJUNCT PERIODS DURING THE MONTH. SO THE FIRST REPORT THAT YOU'LL SEE NO NEW SURPRISES. WE TALKED LAST MONTH ABOUT EXEMPTIONS, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE YEAR OVER YEAR DATA FOR JANUARY. OF COURSE, IN JANUARY OF 2025, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. WE ARE UNDER THE EXEMPTION VERIFICATION PROGRAM. SO I WENT BACK TO 2024 AND LOOKED IN JANUARY TO SEE, WHAT DID I DO AS FAR AS EXEMPTIONS WAS CONCERNED, AND EXACTLY 30 DIFFERENCE. IN JANUARY OF 2024 I ANSWERED SEVEN EXEMPTION COMMUNICATIONS THIS MONTH, I ANSWERED 37 SO IT ENTIRELY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE YEAR OVER YEAR DATA. SO I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY THE NEW NORM. AS WE GO FORWARD, THERE'LL BE LOTS OF EXEMPTION QUESTIONS AS WE DO THIS VERIFICATION PROGRAM. SO THEN MOVING ON TO MY ACTIVITY REPORT. THIS IS LIKE I SAID, THE REMAINING TWO WEEKS OF ACTIVITY THAT I HAD TO REPORT TO YOU. THERE MORE OF THIS TWO WEEK PERIOD THESE COMMUNICATIONS FELL MORE APPROPRIATELY TO THE TLO, INSTEAD OF BEING JUST GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE QUESTIONS. BUT I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT WHILE I HAD OF THE 26 THAT I'M REPORTING HERE, 18 SEVEN OF THEM WERE MARKET SO ONCE PEOPLE GOT THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL, THEY LET ME KNOW I STILL DO NOT AGREE WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S MARKET VALUE. SO WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THAT? AND SO, MORE SURPRISINGLY, THEY WERE NOT AS MANY EXEMPTIONS, BUT MARKET VALUE. SO IT LED ME TO ANSWER A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED OF ME BY MY COMMITTEE, AS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE COME BACK TO ME BECAUSE THEY FIND ME AND THEY BECOME FAMILIAR WITH ME, THEY'VE ASKED ME A QUESTION I'VE RESPONDED. AND SO HOW MANY REPEAT PROPERTY OWNERS? SO I WENT THROUGH THE 2024 AND I FOUND 27 INSTANCES WHERE PROPERTY OWNERS, I'VE ANSWERED YOUR FIRST QUESTION, AND MONTHS LATER, YOU COME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT QUESTION. IT'S ONLY 27 OUT OF 900 PLUS INQUIRIES DURING THAT YEAR, SO 3% SO I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE KEEP COMING BACK TO ME THAT I HAVE A FOLLOWING. WHAT I DO FIND, THOUGH. IS THAT WHEN YOU [00:10:01] DO COMMUNICATE WITH ME, I TRY AND BE AS EFFECTIVE IN MY RESPONSE TO YOU AS I CAN THE FIRST TIME, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU BACK SEVEN MORE TIMES, BUT IF YOU DO KEEP COMING BACK TO ME, I HAVE DEVELOPED A SELF STUDY PROGRAM FOR YOU, AND SO I GIVE YOU EACH WEBINAR THAT I THINK YOU WOULD BENEFIT. AND I TRY TO REFRAIN FROM CONTINUING TO BE A CHAT LINE WITH YOU. I GIVE YOU YOUR OWN PROGRAM OR SYLLABUS TO START YOUR SELF STUDY. MY FINAL REPORT IS THE GRID OF ZIP CODES, AS I TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME I WAS SEEING THE COUNTER ON THE WEST SIDE OF AUSTIN INCREASE. I WANT TO REVIEW THIS AGAIN, AND I'LL REPRESENT THIS, BUT I DID GO THROUGH THE LEANDER ISD ONE TWO THIRDS OF MORE EXEMPTIONS, SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY CONCERN THERE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN EDUCATING OUT IN THAT AREA AT THIS POINT, SINCE THEY'RE MOSTLY EXEMPTION QUESTIONS. AND MY FINAL THING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS THE ARB RECRUITMENT AND SO WITH THE APPROVAL OF 125 MEMBERS FOR THE ARB, THAT MEANT WE WERE LOOKING FOR 75 APPLICANTS. AND 2025 YOU HAVE APPROVED FILLING 56 POSITIONS. THAT LEAVES US 19. I HAVE NINE APPLICATIONS OPEN. I THINK FIVE OF THEM WILL BE PLACED ON THE INTERVIEW LIST FOR FEBRUARY 28 IF THEY ARE TO BE APPOINTED THAT WILL BE ON YOUR MARCH 13 AGENDA. SO WITH THE APPOINTMENTS YOU'VE ALREADY DONE, THAT BROUGHT THE ARB TO 106 WE'RE ALREADY EXPERIENCING THAT MUCH EXPECTED ATTRITION. AND YOU APPROVE SOME RESIGNATIONS LAST MONTH, YOU'LL APPROVE A COUPLE, I HOPE, TODAY. AND SO WE'RE HOVERING AROUND THE NUMBER OF 100 AS WE INTERVIEW IN A POINT. WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THE ATTRITION. WE'RE STABILIZING THE ATTRITION. SO AT THIS POINT, THE ARB IS PREPARED TO ACCEPT THEIR BEGINNING THEIR TRAINING. THEY'LL ACCEPT NEW MEMBERS AND PLAN TO TRAIN THEM AFTER YOU APPOINT IN MARCH. SO THAT'S MY REPORT. ANY QUESTIONS? JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MISS THOMPSON. BETTY THOMPSON, TAXPAYER LIAISON: OH, I NEED TO STAY HERE. [b. Discussion and Possible Action on Removal of Appraisal Review Board Members that have Resigned] JAMES VALADEZ: WE WILL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 6B WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE REMOVAL OF APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE RESIGNED OUR TAXPAYER LIAISON OFFICER, BETTY THOMPSON, WILL PROVIDE US WITH THIS UPDATE. BETTY THOMPSON, TAXPAYER LIAISON: AND SO YOU HAVE THE NAMES OF TWO OF OUR APPOINTED MEMBERS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED RESIGNATIONS, AND I'M ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO ACCEPT THEIR RESIGNATION AND REMOVE THEM FROM THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD ROLL. JAMES VALADEZ: MOVED BY BLANCA, SECONDED BY JETT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, AYE, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BETTY THOMPSON, TAXPAYER LIAISON: THANK YOU. JAMES VALADEZ: THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 6C OF OUR REGULAR AGENDA, [c. Discussion and Possible Action on Appraisal Review Board Chairman Report] DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. THE BOARD WILL NOW HEAR FROM ARB CHAIR, BARRY MCBEE. BARRY MCBEE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS. IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK BEFORE YOU. YOU HAVE IN YOUR BOOK THE PROPOSED WHAT IS REALLY NOW MORE, THE FINAL CALENDAR FOR ARB ACTIVITIES BEFORE WE BEGIN THE SEASON ON JUNE 2. WE WERE DELIGHTED YESTERDAY YOU'LL NOTE ACTIVITY ON THE 12TH TO WELCOME AND ON BOARD AND BEGIN THE TRAINING OF THE 34 NEW MEMBERS THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO US. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD 10 REAPPOINTED MEMBERS COME BACK, THEY HAVE TO BE RE SWORN, AND THEY HAVE SOME REQUIRED TRAINING AT THAT POINT. IT IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE GROUP. WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR THOSE THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO US. WE'VE GOT FORMER SURGEONS, PHARMACISTS, LAWYERS, ENGINEERS, SOME OF WHOM ARE STILL CONTINUING IN THAT ACTIVITY, REALTORS, PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE DEGREES. SO IT'S A VERY WELL QUALIFIED GROUP OF NEW COLLEAGUES THAT WE WILL BEGIN TO WORK WITH. AS YOU CAN ALSO SEE ON THE CALENDAR, THOSE NEW MEMBERS WILL ALSO BE BACK IN EARLY MARCH FOR TO BEGIN THEIR SORT OF MORE INTENSIVE TRAINING, TWO DAYS OF TRAINING FOR ALL OF THEM, AND THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF MARCH TO BEGIN TO BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR THE SEASON THAT IS AHEAD. OKAY, YOU WILL ALSO SEE ON THE CALENDAR THE EXTENT OF [00:15:04] OUR FULL TRAINING IN THE SPRING, THAT INCLUDES SEVERAL COMPONENTS OF WHICH ARE NEW, WHICH WE HOPE WILL BETTER PREPARE ALL OF THE ARB MEMBERS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO HEAR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PROTESTS, PROTEST INVOLVING BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY. WE'RE BRINGING IN A FORMER STATE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE TO TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT IT IS TO BE A JUDGE, AND ACTUALLY, I AM TOLD THAT HE IS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE ARB SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK TO US ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PERSPECTIVE. AND WE ALSO WILL TRY TO TRAIN BOTH NEW AND RETURNING PANEL CHAIRS TO SORT OF BE ABLE TO EFFICIENTLY PRESIDE OVER AND MANAGE A HEARING, AS WE DO MANY OF THOSE OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. IN TERMS OF HEARING MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY, WE'RE WORKING WITH MS. MANN AND TCAD STAFF TO SEE IF WE CAN STREAMLINE SOME OF THE OPENING MINUTES OF A HEARING, TO COMPRESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO A PRIOR AGREEMENT THAT PROPERTY OWNERS AND AGENTS WILL HAVE EXECUTED. THAT KIND OF LETS US GET TO THE REAL BUSINESS OF THE HEARING, WHICH IS TO HEAR THE EVIDENCE FROM BOTH TCAD STAFF AND FROM PROPERTY OWNERS OR THEIR AGENTS, WHETHER THAT'S ON THE VALUE OF A PROPERTY OR WHETHER AN EXEMPTION. WE CAN PERHAPS SQUEEZE 120 SECONDS. BUT EVER 100 EVERY 120 SECONDS IS IMPORTANT. WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS IN 15 MINUTES. SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THAT, ALSO WORKING WITH MS. MANN, AND PARTICULARLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MY ARB COLLEAGUES, TO ENSURE THAT THEY KNOW THE PROVISIONS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND THE PROPERTY TAX CODE THAT GOVERN CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS AND THE INTEREST INSTANCES IN WHICH THEY HAVE TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM HEARINGS, AS WELL AS WORKING TO, I THINK, BETTER DOCUMENT AND MEMORIALIZE KIND OF THE THE SELF IMPOSED CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR WHAT WE CALL THE FIVE MEMBER PANEL HEARINGS THAT INVOLVE BOTH AR MEMBER, ARB MEMBERS AND TCAD EMPLOYEES, FOR ME, WHO WOULD WISH TO PROTEST THEIR PROPERTIES IN ANY GIVEN SEASON. AGAIN, YOU LOOK AT THE CALENDAR, WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD IN TWO WEEKS TO OUR FIRST ROUND IN 2025 OF CORRECTION IN LATE HEARINGS, AND THAT'LL BE THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS SORT OF THE NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM, TO WORK WITH TCAD STAFF. SO WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE TO MANAGE ALL THESE HEARING REQUESTS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO DAYS, BOTH IN JUST TERMS OF THE SCHEDULING AND JUST THE ACTUAL SORT OF HEARING BY HEARING ADMINISTRATION PROCESS. SO IT'S OUR THAT WILL BE OUR FIRST TRIAL BY FIRE WHEN WE DO THIS LATE IN FEBRUARY. AND THEN FINALLY, ECHOING MISS THOMPSON, I HAVE MADE A PERSONAL PITCH TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE ARB, INCLUDING THE NEW MEMBERS, TO SEE THEY CAN REACH OUT AND FIND FRIENDS OR FORMER COLLEAGUES WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SERVING, AND HOPING THAT THAT WOULD PRODUCE AT LEAST A FEW MORE CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEWS WHO COULD JOIN US, PERHAPS EVEN AS LATE AS MAY, AND KIND OF CATCH UP ON THE HEARING PROCESS TO JOIN THAT COHORT OF NEW MEMBERS. ONE THING I WOULD MENTION, AND I'LL LOOK TO MISTER HAND AS ONE OF THOSE WHO DOES THAT INTERVIEWING, ALONG WITH MISS THOMPSON, THE WE REALLY NEED TO STRESS THAT THIS IS A FULL TIME, ALL DAY SEASONAL JOB. WE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME SOME OF THE NEW MEMBERS WHO WERE APPOINTED YESTERDAY, WHO CAME IN AND SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO LEAVE AT TWO O'CLOCK EVERY DAY. WELL, THAT'S THAT'S DIFFICULT TO ACCOMMODATE. SO IF AS INTERVIEWS AND AS RECRUITMENT GOES ON, IT JUST SOMETIMES IT'S WHEN I WHEN I JOINED. IT WAS SORT OF BILLED AS A AS A PART TIME SEASONAL JOB, AND IT'S REALLY NOT PART TIME. SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SETTING PROPER EXPECTATIONS FOR CANDIDATES AND INTERVIEWEES SO THEY'RE NOT SURPRISED, AND SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO KIND OF MANAGE ALL THOSE SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT WE NEED TO DO OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. SO THAT'S MY REPORT. BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF THERE ARE ANY. JETT HANNA: I JUST THOUGHT I'D ADD WE DO SAY THAT, AND IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE GET A FAIR NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO, I THINK THEY THEY'RE NOT REALLY SURE HOW IT'S ALL GOING TO WORK, HOW THEIR SCHEDULE IS GOING TO WORK YET, AND WE CAN'T REALLY TELL THEM EITHER. YOU WILL WORK FIVE DAYS A WEEK. SO IT'S, IT'S A REAL INTERESTING BARRY MCBEE: I KNOW IT'S A BALANCE. I THINK WHAT CAUGHT US BY SURPRISE YESTERDAY WAS, WAS THE EXPECTATION THAT I COULD LEAVE AT TWO O'CLOCK OR THREE O'CLOCK. WE ARE CLEAR WHEN I TALK TO ANYBODY. I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU FIVE DAYS A WEEK, AND WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST. SOME PEOPLE HAVE COME FORWARD AND SAID, WHETHER IT'S I'M A GRANDPARENT AND I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF MY GRANDKIDS COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK, OR I'M A REALTOR, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A DAY OR TWO OFF. IF WE CAN ACCOMMODATE A PARTIAL WORK WEEK, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO DO THAT, BUT WE NEED MOST PEOPLE TO WORK ALL DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK TO ACCOMPLISH IT, ESPECIALLY IN JUNE, UP TO THE CERTIFICATION DATE IN JULY. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY AFTER THAT. [00:20:02] SO I KNOW YOU HAVE STRESS, MR. HANNA, BUT AS IN COMMUNICATION, YOU GOT TO KIND OF STRESS AND RESTRESS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE PEOPLE APPRECIATE IT, AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO, I THINK, DECIDE, IS THIS GOING TO FIT INTO MY LIFESTYLE AND WHAT I HOPE TO DO? SO WE JUST, WE ALL TRY TO DO OUR BEST, I THINK, IN TERMS OF EDUCATING. THANK YOU. JAMES VALADEZ: MISS BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: YEAH, POSTED IT ON BARRY MCBEE: THEY DO. YEAH. THEY'VE GOT A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE TO SERVE THEIR CLIENTS BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: EXACTLY. YEAH, YOU CAN'T SERVE ON THE ARB AND BE A REALTOR. JAMES VALADEZ: MISS CARTWRIGHT BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: I KNOW, BUT SOMEONE, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: MR. MCBEE, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT WE APPRECIATE VERY MUCH YOUR ROLE AS THE CHAIRMAN, BECAUSE IT'S A LOT HARDER THAN PEOPLE REALIZE. YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT POSTPONEMENT. YOU HAD TO RESCHEDULE IN AND THAT IS A HUGE JOB THAT GETS TO BE MIND BOGGLING. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THESE REPORTS AND FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE SCHEDULING, BECAUSE THAT'S THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR JOB, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAINS RUNNING ON TIME. BARRY MCBEE: THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOGNITION. IN THE 40 SOME DAYS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, WE REALIZE HOW LITTLE WE KNEW ABOUT THE JOBS WE WERE TAKING OFF. WE MIGHT HAVE RECONSIDERED OUR VOLUNTEERING AT THAT POINT. JAMES VALADEZ: SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. MCBEE? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS 6D DISCUSSION AND [d. Discussion and Possible Action on Chief Appraiser Report] POSSIBLE ACTION ON CHIEF APPRAISERS REPORT TO INCLUDE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT RESULTS FROM THE 2024 SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY VALUES STUDY, 2025 FIELD WORK, HOMESTEAD VERIFICATION PROGRAM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, TAXPAYER EXPERIENCE, SNAPSHOT AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CHIEF APPRAISER, LEANA MANN. LEANA MANN: THANK YOU. OUR 2024 ANNUAL REPORT IS NOT QUITE FINISHED YET. WE'RE WAITING ON A FEW MORE DEEDS TO POST THROUGH THE COUNTY CLERK'S WEBSITE TO GET FINAL COUNTS, SO WE'LL HAVE THAT FOR YOU IN MARCH. WE DID GET OUR PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY VALUE STUDY, AND WE PASSED ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR THE 2024 PVS, OUR RATIOS RANGED FROM 96% TO 103, BUT THE MAJORITY FELL WITHIN A PERCENTAGE OR TWO OF 100% MARKET VALUE. SO YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SCREEN, I HAVE OUR PRIOR YEAR RESULTS AND OUR 2024 RESULTS FOR EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE GREEN REPRESENTS AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MEDIAN LEVEL OF APPRAISAL, AND THE RED INDICATES A DECREASE IN THE MEDIAN LEVEL OF APPRAISAL, THE THREE DECREASES WE SAW WAS JUST ONE PERCENTAGE POINT FOR EACH SCHOOL. WE ALSO HAVE THE RATIO STUDY RESULTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET, AND AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE VERY BOTTOM, THE OVERALL RATIO IS AT 100% SO WE ARE MEETING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE TO APPRAISE ALL PROPERTY AT 100% OF MARKET VALUE. SO WHAT ARE THESE RESULTS TELL US? WE ALWAYS WANT TO LOOK FOR AREAS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE. AND SO AS APPRAISERS, WE LOOK AT IN ADDITION TO THE MEDIAN LEVEL OF APPRAISAL, TWO OTHER STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. SO THE COEFFICIENT OF DISPERSION MEASURES UNIFORMITY, AND THEN THE PRICE RELATED DIFFERENTIAL, OR THE PRD, MEASURES VERTICAL EQUITY TO SHOW REGRESSIVITY OR PROGRESSIVITY. SO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THIS AND WHAT WE THINK WE CAN IMPROVE ON, WE DID SEE IMPROVEMENT IN FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ELGIN ISD, MARBLE FALLS, AUSTIN ISD, EANES AND LAKE TRAVIS. OUR OVERALL MEDIAN LEVEL OF APPRAISAL, AGAIN, WAS AT 100% WE HAD IMPROVEMENT IN OUR CODS FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ROLE, NON SPECIAL VALUATION OR AG LAND, PERSONAL PROPERTY. AND THEN OUR OVERALL COD, SHOWING THAT UNIFORMITY WAS WENT FROM 11.5 AND 22 TO 9.18 AND 2024. JAMES VALADEZ: QUESTION BY MISS CARTWRIGHT DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: COEFFICIENTS OF DISPERSION ALWAYS BOGGLE MY MIND. WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT JUST BRIEFLY AS TO WHAT THESE NUMBERS MEAN? WHAT IS THE CORE VISION OF DISPERSION? LEANA MANN: SO IAAO PUTS OUT THIS RATIO STUDY GUIDELINE, AND SO THEY GIVE US COD, AND IT'S A MEASUREMENT FROM THE MEDIAN OF A SAMPLE SIZE, AND IT JUST SHOWS IF YOU'RE UNIFORM IN YOUR APPRAISAL METHODOLOGY. FOR INSTANCE, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SHOULD BE BETWEEN FIVE AND 20 ON A COD. WE'RE SITTING AT 7.59 WHICH IS RIGHT IN THAT ACCEPTABLE RANGE THAT THAT THEY RECOMMEND IT. WE CAN GET VERY DOWN INTO THE DETAILS, BUT ESSENTIALLY, IAAO GIVES YOU A MEASURE THAT YOU SHOULD FALL WITHIN. AND SO ALL OF OUR. MEASURES FOR COD FELL WITHIN [00:25:01] THOSE RANGES. OBVIOUSLY, VACANT LAND IS THE HARDEST TO GET UNIFORMITY ON. IF WE GO BACK TO THIS SCREEN, OUR VACANT LAND OR STATE CATEGORY C1 OUR COEFFICIENT OF DISPERSION WAS AT 26.8 WHICH SEEMS HIGHER COMPARED TO THE OTHER PROPERTY CATEGORIES, BUT THAT'S WITHIN THE RANGE THAT IAAO RECOMMENDS, TYPICALLY THEY HAVE HIGHER CODS. PRD IS THE OTHER ANALYSIS THAT WE LOOK AT, AND THAT JUST SHOWS IF THE OVERALL SYSTEM IS MORE REGRESSIVE OR PROGRESSIVE, AND ESSENTIALLY YOU WANT TO BE AS CLOSE TO ONE AS YOU CAN. AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN LIKE, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL WE WERE AT POINT 1.01 SO VERY CLOSE TO ONE. RURAL LAND WAS AT 1.03 STILL CLOSE TO ONE. COMMERCIAL REAL PROPERTY WAS AT POINT NINE, SEVEN, AND THEN OUR VACANT LOTS WAS, AT 1.11 SO AGAIN, WE KNEW LAND WAS AN AREA THAT WE WANTED TO IMPROVE ON. THAT'S WHY WE'VE WE'RE UNDERTAKING A FEW ADDITIONAL STUDIES THIS YEAR, BUT THIS JUST SOLIDIFIES THAT WHILE OUR VACANT LAND IS WITHIN RANGES THAT IT SHOULD BE, THERE IS AREAS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE IN ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PROPERTY VALUE STUDY BEFORE WE MOVE ON? JETT HANNA: JUST ONE THING I WAS CURIOUS, WERE THERE FEWER JURISDICTIONS THAT HAD PROBLEMS ON THEIR RATIOS THIS TIME STATEWIDE? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU LOOKED AT? LEANA MANN: I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT YET. THESE ARE JUST PRELIMINARY. SO ALL OF THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE DATA, DETERMINE IF THEY WANT TO PROTEST, AND THEN THE FINAL RESULTS, ARE U--- THEY USUALLY COME OUT JUNE OR JULY. JAMES VALADEZ: QUESTION FROM MR. HAVENSTRITE JOHN HAVENSTRITE: THOSE, THOSE RATIOS ARE, ARE SO CLOSE TO SO CLOSE TO ONE. HOW DO YOU? HOW DO YOU IMPROVE? WHAT DO YOU? WHAT DO YOU DO TO IMPROVE ON, ON THESE RATIOS WHERE THERE'S SO LITTLE TO IMPROVE ON? LEANA MANN: WELL, I THINK YOU DIVE DEEPER INTO THE DETAIL. SO THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE LOOKS AT STATE CODE CATEGORIES AND GROUPS THEM IN VERY LARGE BUCKETS. WE CAN DO THE SAME KIND OF RATIO ANALYSIS ON SMALLER SEGMENTS, SUCH AS LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD CODE, AND IT MAY SHOW A MEDIAN LEVEL OF APPRAISAL THAT'S FURTHER FROM 100% AND IDENTIFY SOME AREAS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT SO THE STATE CODES LOOK GOOD, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DIVE DEEPER INTO THE DETAILS TO FIND AREAS TO WORK ON. JAMES VALADEZ: MS. CARTWRIGHT DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: AND JUST AS A COMMENT ON THAT, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I ALWAYS FIND REALLY DIFFICULT IS COMMERCIAL REAL PROPERTY, BECAUSE THE STATE CATEGORIZES STRIP CENTERS, COMMERCIAL, OFFICE BUILDINGS, HOTELS, I MEAN AN ARRAY OF TYPES OF PROPERTY ALL UNDER COMMERCIAL. SO WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IS THAT YOU HAVE OVER APPRAISAL ON MAKING AND NOT THAT WE WOULD, BUT OVER APPRAISAL AND HOTELS, PERHAPS, AND THEN UNDER APPRAISAL ON A STRIP CENTER, YOUR NUMBER LOOKS GOOD UP HERE, BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THE UNDERLYING DATA, YOU CAN SEE SOME SITUATIONS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, IS THAT YOU DO A DEEP DIVE TO SEE IF THERE ARE CERTAIN CATEGORIES WITHIN COMMERCIAL THAT YOU MIGHT NEED RIGHT CORRECT? LEANA MANN: YEAH, THEY GROUP THEM IN VERY LARGE BUCKETS, SO WE BREAK THINGS DOWN IN MUCH SMALLER SEGMENTS. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR RATIOS, WE ARE ALMOST DONE WITH FIELD WORK. WE HAVE ABOUT 13 DAYS REMAINING. THE STAFF HAS COMPLETED OVER 115,000 FIELD CHECKS. AT THIS POINT, THEY HAVE A TOTAL OF 107 DAYS. SO WE'RE BY THE OUR MARCH MEETING WILL HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF OUR FIELD WORK, AND WE'RE ALSO FINALIZING OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION PROJECT THAT SHOULD BE DONE BY APRIL. WE'RE ABOUT 20% COMPLETE WITH THE WORK, BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A VENDOR, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THEM RIGHT NOW. WE TOOK 17,000 OF THE NON RESPONSIVE HOMEOWNERS WHO HAD NOT PROVIDED AND RESPONDED TO OUR LETTERS, RAN THEM THROUGH THEIR ALGORITHMS, AND OUT OF THOSE 17,000 THEY ONLY IDENTIFIED 3100 THAT ACTUALLY DO NOT IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THEY QUALIFY FOR THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP 14,000 PEOPLE FROM LOSING THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. BECAUSE WE COULD, WE COULD VERIFY THEIR INFORMATION. JAMES VALADEZ: QUESTION BY MISS ISRAEL CELIA ISRAEL: THANK YOU. IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND. AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU COVERED THIS IN LAST [00:30:01] MONTH'S MEETING, BUT WHY WE'RE HAVING TO DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE VERIFY HOMESTEAD. LEANA MANN: YES, MA'AM. IN 2020, LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE HAD A BILL THAT PASSED THAT REQUIRES APPRAISAL DISTRICT TO AUDIT ALL HOMESTEAD RECORDS ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO WE ARE WE DID 1/5 OF OUR PROPERTIES THIS YEAR, AND WE IDENTIFIED THE HOMESTEADS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE ROLE THE LONGEST, AS WE WANT TO START WITH, BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE THIS REQUIREMENT TO OBTAIN A DRIVER'S LICENSE, WHICH, WHEN THEY APPLIED PRIOR TO 2009 WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW. SO IN ALL OF THESE CASES, WE DIDN'T HAVE DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN AREAS THAT THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE TESTS US ON AS PART OF OUR METHODS AND PROCEDURES AUDIT. SO WE DID IDENTIFY THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH DPS TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN JUST HAVE THE ID NUMBER, THE DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER, AND NOT THE PHYSICAL DRIVER'S LICENSE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO USE A THIRD PARTY VENDOR TO VERIFY THAT INFORMATION. SO WE'RE FINE TUNING HOW WE WANT TO GO ABOUT IT. WE HOPE THERE'S SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES TO THE PROCESS. THERE'S BEEN BILLS FILED TO REPEAL THE HOMESTEAD AUDIT COMPLETELY, SO WE'LL SEE THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE LAW REQUIRES US TO DO THIS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE UNDERTAKING THE PROJECT. CELIA ISRAEL: SO THERE'S 20,000 PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY YET LEANA MANN: 17,000 YEAH, THIS IS FROM LAST WEEK, WHEN I PREPARED THE BOOK. BUT THERE'S 17,000 AS OF THIS MORNING. YEAH. CELIA ISRAEL: I'M CONCERNED THAT THERE'S PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE OLDER. PERHAPS THEY DON'T HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE MAYBE THEY HAVE A PASSPORT OR ANOTHER FORM OF IDENTIFICATION. DOES THE LEGISLATION ALLOW FOR YOU TO SUBSTITUTE OTHER FORMS, OF IDENTIFICATION, LIKE THEY DO WITH VOTING, FOR EXAMPLE? LEANA MANN: UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DO NOT AT THIS TIME. SO WE HAVE A TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE OR TEXAS ID CARD ARE THE ONLY FORMS THAT WE CAN ACCEPT. WE'VE BEEN IN TALKS WITH SENATOR ECKERT OFFICE AT CARDS OFFICE REGARDING POSSIBLY ADDING A PASSPORT. THERE'S A BILL TO ADD CONCEALED CARRY LICENSE. SO I THINK PASSPORT WOULD BE A GOOD ALTERNATIVE AS WELL. SO WE'RE WORKING ON SOME ALTERNATIVES, BUT WE AT THIS POINT, IT'S JUST A TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE OR ID. CELIA ISRAEL: OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JAMES VALADEZ: MISS CARTWRIGHT DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: AND COULD YOU EXPLAIN TO US THOSE STEPS YOU'VE TAKEN TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS? I THINK THE COVER LETTER THAT YOU SEND INITIALLY DESCRIBED THE LEGISLATURE PASSED A BILL THAT REQUIRED IT, AND THEN YOU'VE HAD WEBINARS. IS THAT CORRECT? LEANA MANN: WE HAVE A WEBINAR SCHEDULED LATER THIS MONTH. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH IN PERSON. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE PROPERTY OWNERS GET AT LEAST FIVE NOTIFICATIONS FROM US BY THE TIME THEIR EXEMPTION ACTUALLY GETS REMOVED. SO WE'VE SENT LETTERS. WE'VE SENT POSTCARDS FOR OUR OVER 65 ANYONE THAT HAS NOT RESPONDED THAT WOULD HAVE THEIR EXEMPTION REMOVED, WE'RE GOING TO CALL AND EMAIL IF WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON FILE, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'VE CONTACTED THEM MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE WE REMOVE AN EXEMPTION, WHERE WE'LL REMOVE THE EXEMPTION IN APRIL SO THAT THEY GET ANOTHER NOTICE FOR THEIR NOTICE OF APPRAISED VALUE SHOWING THE EXEMPTION GONE. THEN THEY'LL GET THEIR TAX BILL SHOWING IT'S GONE, AND WE CAN GO BACK AND RE ADD THE HOMESTEAD IF THEY GET THEIR TAX BILL, AND THEN SEND US THE INFORMATION. CELIA ISRAEL: DOES YOUR NOTIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC INCLUDE AND I KNOW THIS IS HARD, BECAUSE OUR OFFICE, OF COURSE, IS WORKING TO GATHER TAXES, AND WE SEND OUT NUMEROUS NOTICES, AND THINGS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS WITH EVERY FAMILY IS DIFFERENT, BUT DOES YOUR NOTICE INDICATE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY IF YOU DON'T KEEP THIS EXEMPTION ACTIVE LIKE SOMETHING TO STRESS THAT THIS IS, THIS IS CONNECTED TO YOUR FAMILY BUDGET. IN OTHER WORDS. LEANA MANN: I BELIEVE IT HAS SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE, SOME EVERYDAY LANGUAGE THAT JUST LAYS IT OUT, YEAH, FORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T DICTATE WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE WE HAD TO USE IT, WHICH IS RARE. SO CYNTHIA WAS ABLE TO MAKE THIS VERY USER FRIENDLY, AND SHE DID A REALLY GREAT JOB COMMUNICATING THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE. CELIA ISRAEL: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? LEANA MANN: AND THANK YOU TO THE TAX OFFICE, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN A HUGE HELP AS PEOPLE COME IN, THEY'RE COLLECTING AUDIT INFORMATION AND HELPING THE PROPERTY OWNERS RESPOND. SO THANK YOU. WE HAVE A FEW UPCOMING EVENTS. AT THE END OF FEBRUARY. WE ARE GOING TO DO A WEBINAR ON THE BUSINESS, PERSONAL PROPERTY MARCH 1, WE'RE DOING A PROPERTY TAX TOWN HALL AT THE CIRCLE C HOA. MARCH 4, AT THE ROTARY CLUB. WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING TCAD 101 FOR PROPERTY OWNERS. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR [00:35:04] MONTHLY VA BENEFITS CLINIC ON MARCH 12. ON MARCH 19, WE'LL BE DOING A WEBINAR SPECIFICALLY FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. AND THEN MARCH 29 WE'RE HAVING AN EXEMPTIONS CLINIC AT THE PFLUGERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY. SO WE WILL ASSIST WITH EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS, AUDIT, VERIFICATION, DOCUMENTS, AS WELL AS GIVE A SHORT PRESENTATION. OUR TAXPAYER EXPERIENCE SNAPSHOT HASN'T CHANGED MUCH SINCE TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT WE ARE RUNNING AT A 4.69 FOR OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP. OUR PHONE WAIT TIMES ARE UP BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CALLS WE'RE GETTING ABOUT THE AUDIT, THEY'RE RUNNING ABOUT 15 MINUTES, AND THEN OUR IN PERSON WAIT TIME IS UNDER EIGHT MINUTES. AND CYNTHIA DID A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING DURING THE TAX BILL SEASON, NOVEMBER 1 THROUGH JANUARY 1, WE TYPICALLY GET A LOT OF WALK INS AND PHONE CALLS ABOUT TAX BILLS THAT REALLY SHOULD WE ARE DIRECTING BACK OVER TO THE TAX OFFICE. BUT DURING THIS SEASON, WE ALSO HAD OUR AUDIT PROGRAM GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD ALMOST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF IN PERSON TRANSACTIONS IN THE BUILDING. OUR WAIT TIME DID GO UP. IT ALMOST DOUBLED FROM THREE MINUTES LAST YEAR TO SIX AND A HALF MINUTES THIS YEAR. AVERAGE SERVICE TIME, THOUGH, WAS DOWN TO THREE AND A HALF MINUTES, ALMOST FOUR MINUTES. SO THE ONCE THEY GET IN OUR OFFICE AND THEY'RE MEETING WITH ONE OF OUR REPS, GETTING THE INFORMATION THEY NEED, WE'RE RESOLVING THEIR PROBLEMS VERY QUICKLY. AND A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, BILLS ARE STILL BEING FILED. THERE'S AS OF THIS REPORT ON THE 10TH THERE WERE OVER 4100 BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED, 421 THAT WE'RE TRACKING AGAIN, STILL SEEING APPRAISAL LIMITATIONS AND EXEMPTIONS AS THE TWO BIG DRIVERS FOR BILLS BEING FILED. THERE WAS AN OMNIBUS BILL THAT WAS FILED BY GUIAN THAT WERE TRACKING QUITE A FEW BILLS ON PROPERTY VALUE STUDY AND SLIGHT CHANGES TO THAT PROCESS, LOTS OF HR AND FINANCE RELATED BILLS WITH CONTRACTING AND PERSONNEL. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? I MEAN, IS IT DICTATING WHAT KIND OF LEANA MANN: A LOT OF DEI BILLS. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: OH, OKAY LEANA MANN: SO WE'RE TRACKING ALL OF THOSE. SENATE BILL FOUR WAS, DID GET PUSHED OUT OF COMMITTEE EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND WE EXPECT THAT IT'LL GO TO THE FLOOR PROBABLY TODAY. SO THAT WAS THE INCREASED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 100,000 TO $140,000 AND THEN IT'LL HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE HOUSE. SO WE'RE TRACKING ALL OF THAT. ANY QUESTIONS? CELIA ISRAEL: TO OUR EARLIER DISCUSSION, ARE THERE ANY BILLS THAT WE THAT ARE HELPING US AS WE REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION? THERE'S YOU MENTIONED SENATOR ECKHARDT BUT ARE THERE? IS THERE AN ARE THERE OTHER SIMILAR BILLS THAT WE COULD MAYBE GET A FRIEND TO PUT AN AMENDMENT ON THERE TO SAY, HEY, WHILE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HOMESTEAD AND TAXES, HERE'S, HERE'S A QUICK WAY TO HELP. LEANA MANN: YES, WE ARE TRACKING THREE OR FOUR. THERE'S A COUPLE BILLS TO REPEAL IT TOTALLY THE HOMESTEAD ON IT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE COULD JUST GET ADDITIONAL VERIFICATION METHODS, EITHER THROUGH AN AFFIDAVIT THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER SIGNS, OR ADDITIONAL LIKE A PASSPORT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE YES, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, AND ARE REACHING OUT TO THE REPS WHEN WE SEE THEM. CELIA ISRAEL: LET'S DO SO COMMON SENSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF ONLY YOU HAD A VOTE IN THE LEGISLATURE. JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES THE REPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORT, MISS MANN. THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 6E WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON LITIGATION AND APPEALS RELATED [e. Discussion and Possible Action on Litigation and Appeals Related to Pending and Anticipated Lawsuits to include Report by TCAD In-House Counsel of Lawsuit Figures and Recent Case Developments] TO PENDING AND ANTICIPATED LAWSUITS, TO INCLUDE A REPORT BY TCAD IN HOUSE COUNSEL OF LAWSUIT FIGURES IN RECENT CASE DEVELOPMENTS. THE BOARD MAY MEET AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DELIBERATE ON ANY MATTER AUTHORIZED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551, POINT 01, FOR THIS ITEM, WE WILL NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION CITING SECTION 551071, CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY REGARDING PENDING AND CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION, SETTLEMENT OFFERS AND MATTERS ON WHICH THE ATTORNEY HAS A DUTY TO ADVISE THE BOARD UNDER TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS, SECTION 551, POINT 072, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO [00:40:02] GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? MOTION MOVED BY MRS. ISRAEL, SECONDED BY BLANCA. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. WITH THAT. THE TIME IS 12:10, AND THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL STAND IN RECESS AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. [01:24:28] DO I HAVE, I GUESS, BEFORE I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN, [7. Adjournment] [01:24:33] I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEXT MEETING FOR THE BOARD OF [01:24:37] DIRECTORS TO BE MARCH 13, WHICH IS A THURSDAY. THE TRAVIS [01:24:42] CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS RECONVENED [01:24:47] AFTER GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL NOT NEED ANY [01:24:52] ACTION RELATED TO ITEM 6E TODAY. MOVING ON TO ITEM SIX. 6F OF OUR [01:24:57] REGULAR AGENDA, ADJOURNMENT. AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF [01:25:03] THERE'S A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVED BY MISS ISRAEL, SECONDED [01:25:08] BY JETT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AT 12:55 THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS STANDS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.