Denton County is among the top 10 counties in the U.S. for growth, according to U.S. Census Bureau data for 2021. And, according to the North Texas Real Estate information Services, Denton County trends are much like other areas across Texas in that median home sale prices are up from $356,000 in 2021 to $420,000 this year.
By state law, the Denton County Appraisal District, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Denton County government, is required to appraise property at its market value every year as of Jan. 1. Afterword, taxing entities across Denton County set respective tax rates. After the tax rates are set, property tax in Texas is collected by the Denton County Tax Office and distributed to the taxing entities as determined by their rates. Property taxes are the primary revenue source for local governmental entities to fund roads, law enforcement, schools, libraries, emergency response services, and more.
The first batch of appraisal notices from the Denton Central Appraisal District are expected to be mailed on April 18. The deadline to file a protest is 30 days after the date the notice is mailed. Officials from the Denton Central Appraisal District indicate they anticipate a record number of protests, more than 120,000, as real estate values outperform expectations.
A new online protest portal is being unveiled this month to allow taxpayers to upload more evidence more quickly than before. It also allows appraisers to exchange emails with taxpayers via the portal. Informal meetings with appraisers and the Appraisal Review Board can be done electronically, in person, by phone, or through Zoom.
The portal is located on www.dentoncad.com. Information and forms related to hearings before the Appraisal Review Board are also available at www.dentoncad.com.
Appraisal Review Board hearings will begin on May 23 and continue through July 15, 2022. Property owners should bring a hard copy of all evidence when presenting to the board in person. The Appraisal Review Board is comprised of citizens who have completed the required state training to become a certified Appraisal Review Board member. Individuals are welcome to contact the Denton County Appraisal District’s Taxpayer Liaison Officer at [email protected]. The Taxpayer Liaison Officer was created to help facilitate issues. Challenges to Appraisal Review Board hearing results would be submitted to the Taxpayer Liaison Officer. A report of all challenges submitted to the Denton County Appraisal District are reported annually on Dec. 31 to the State Comptroller’s Office.
The first set of preliminary totals are slated for release to all taxing entities in the county on April 29.
Please note that the 87th Texas Legislature passed SB1 and SJR2 during the third special session. If approved by voters as a constitutional amendment in the May 7 election, the measure will increase the residence homestead exemption for Independent School Districts from the current $25,000 to $40,000. If approved by voters, the increase to $40,000 will be effective as of Jan. 1, 2022. That means the Denton Central Appraisal District will be applying the exemption after notices are mailed. They will notify property owners of the potential change.
Certified totals will be released to each taxing entity across the county by July 25, 2022.
In other news, the Denton Central Appraisal District Board of Directors recently approved a new set of agriculture and wildlife guidelines following a public meeting to hear views on an initial proposal. I asked the Denton Central Appraisal District to gather more public input before approving the final guidelines. Based on the input, the minimum acreage and animal unit requirements decreased. These are guidelines to follow on what would typically qualify for agriculture evaluation. Denton Central Appraisal District officials wanted to ensure there was flexibility throughout the process.
You can find the Denton Central Appraisal District’s Agriculture & Wildlife Guidelines here.