Property tax hike in mail
New appaisals to cover shortfalls
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Jasper County residents received a bit of a shock in the mail this week.

The Jasper County Appraisal District issued 15,000 tax reappraisal notices this week with some showing increases that could be considered substantial.

"The appraisals will be higher to make up the difference that says we have been too low for the past couple of years," said David Luther, chief appraiser for the Jasper County Appraisal District.

Taxpayers will have 30 days to file an appeal.

Luther said it is vitally important that taxpayers seeking to file appeals inform the appraisal office of any details on residences that might lower the appraisals.

"What we need to know from the taxpayers is if there is something about their property that we don't know that could influence our judgment to make it go down," Luther said. "If they still have damage from Hurricane Rita that still hasn't been repaired, we are not going to know that and it may get their value adjusted back down.

"If we said they have a 2,000-square feet home and they only have 1,000-square feet, we need to rectify that," Luther said. "Depreciation is the big thing that we are worried about. We want to work with them if there are some things that will give them some relief."

Luther warned that there are some properties that will receive a "big increase in their taxes as a result of this study."

"There is not much we can do about the residence we have been appraising at 65 percent of its value," Luther said. "They are not going to like the big increase because they have to pay a lot more taxes.

"The other side of the coin is that they have received a big break for several years while others appraisals were higher," Luther said.

Luther said all calls would be returned until the final date of July 23, when all appeals must be filed.

"I take a lot of pride that we really try to work with people," Luther said. "We will be really busy the first few days but I suggest that they don't give up."

If the district turns down their appraisal, residents have the right to appeal that decision to an appraisal review board, which is made up of citizens from throughout the county.

The reappraisal for the 2007 tax year is primarily based on residential and lake properties.

The Texas Comptrollers office conducted an appraisals standards review in January of 2006. A draft of the report was presented to the district, which contained recommendations for the district to improve the results of its appraisals.

"The basis for that standards review being triggered was for the Jasper ISD was that the district was appraising single-family residences at 85 percent of where they ought to be," Luther said.

The appraisal district appealed the figures but all appeals have been exhausted, according to Luther.

He said homes that have been filed as homesteads during the previous year, can only go up 10 percent a year.

"If we go up 35 or 45 percent on the value of their home, the Texas Constitution says I can only go up 10 percent a year," Luther said. "It phases in that increase. It's a lot better than being hit with it all together at once."

Luther said his office is more than prepared for the residents coming in to question their appraisals.

"The work doesn't bother us and talking with the taxpayers doesn't bother us," Luther said. "I'm really worried about them getting frustrated because they don't a call right back right away or they don't get to see us right away."