Wise County Appraisal District

Transcription

1 Wise County Appraisal District Fall 2015 To the Citizens of Wise County The Wise County Appraisal District has prepared the 2015 Annual Report to better assist the citizens and taxpayers of Wise County in understanding the responsibilities and activities required of the district. This document highlights the results of our appraisal activities, appeals process, financial stewardship, and the measures of compliance as determined by the Comptroller of Public Accounts - Property Tax Assistance Division. The Wise County Appraisal District strives to provide uniform and equal appraisals as required by the Texas Property Tax Code. With this in mind, the board of directors and management of the district are committed to the education of our staff. The district has eleven staff members registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and seven have attained the designation of Registered Professional Appraiser. The district works diligently to provide excellent customer service to all that come in contact with our office which again starts with an educated and professional staff. I hope you find this report informative and encourage you to review other information on our website to further your understanding of the property tax system in Texas. As always should you have any further questions or comments, do not hesitate to give us a call. Sincerely, _Michael L Hand Michael L. Hand Chief Appraiser

2 OVERVIEW The Wise County Appraisal District is responsible for local property tax appraisal and exemption administration for 28 jurisdictions or taxing units in Wise County. Each taxing unit, such as the county, a city, school district, emergency service district, etc., sets its own tax rate to generate revenue to pay for such things as police and fire protection, public school, road and street maintenance, courts, water and sewer systems, and other public services. Property appraisals and estimated values by the appraisal district allocate the year s tax burden on the basis of each taxable property s market value. We also determine eligibility for various types of property tax exemptions such as those for homeowners, the elderly, disabled veterans, charitable or religious organizations and agricultural productivity valuation. The Wise County Appraisal District serves the following taxing units: Alvord ISD City of Alvord Boyd ISD City of Boyd Bridgeport ISD City of Bridgeport Chico ISD City of Chico Decatur ISD City of Decatur Paradise ISD City of Paradise Slidell ISD City of Aurora Wise County City of Newark Wise FM / LTR City of Rhome Wise Water Control District #1 Jacksboro ISD Wise Water Supply Krum ISD Emergency Services District #1 Northwest ISD Poolville ISD Springtown ISD City of Fort Worth North Fort Worth WCID#1 Clear Creek Water Wise County Appraisal District overlaps with the following CAD s affecting the ISD properties in parenthesis: Cooke CAD Denton CAD Jack CAD Parker CTA Montague CAD Tarrant CAD (Slidell ISD) (Slidell ISD & Northwest ISD) (Jacksboro ISD) (Poolville ISD & Springton ISD) (Alvord ISD & Slidell ISD) (Azle ISD & City of Fort Worth)

3 MARKET VALUE Except as otherwise provided by the Property Tax Code, all taxable property is appraised at its market value as of Jan 1 st. Under the tax code, market value means the price at which a property would transfer for cash or its equivalent under prevailing market conditions if: Exposed for sale in the open market with a reasonable time for the seller to find a purchaser; Both the seller and the buyer know of all the uses and purposes to which the property is adapted and for which it is capable of being used and of the enforceable restrictions on its use, and: Both the seller and buyer seek to maximize their gains and neither is in a position to take advantage of the exigencies of the other CERTIFIED VALUES Following are the 2015 Certified Values for Wise County which includes the number of parcels in the county, property types, market values, and net taxable values. Also a five year comparison of certified values for each of the taxing entities has been included CERTIFIED VALUES WISE COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT TYPE PARCELS MARKET TAXABLE REAL 45,199 $6,040,000,576 $3,178,411,541 PERSONAL 3,266 $413,030,180 $396,091,521 INDUSTRIAL / UTILITY 4,019 $1,890,118,610 $1,839,145,876 MINERALS 176,758 $2,091,930,210 $2,067,308, ,242 $10,435,079,576 $7,480,957,438 TOTAL PARCELS 229,242

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6 Property Classifications Property classifications include these categories: A: Real Property: Single-family Residential B: Real Property: Multifamily Residential C1: Real Property: Vacant Lots and Land Tracts C2: Real Property: Colonia Lots and Land Tracts D1: Real Property: Qualified Open-space Land D2: Real Property: Farm and Ranch Improvements on Qualified Open-Space Land E: Real Property: Rural Land, not qualified for open-space land appraisal, and Improvements F1: Real Property: Commercial F2: Real Property: Industrial and Manufacturing G1: Real Property: Oil and Gas G2: Real Property: Minerals G3: Real Property: Other Sub-surface Interests in Land H1: Tangible Personal Property: Personal Vehicles, not used for business purposes H2: Tangible Personal Property: Goods in Transit J: Real and Tangible Personal Property: Utilities L1: Personal Property: Commercial L2: Personal Property: Industrial and Manufacturing M1: Mobile Homes M2: Other Tangible Personal Property N: Intangible Personal Property Only O: Real Property: Residential Inventory S: Special Inventory X: Totally Exempt Property and subcategories

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10 TAXPAYER APPEALS In accordance with the Texas Property Tax Code, Section 41.44, a property owner and/or an authorized Tax Consultant may file an appeal with the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB schedules these appeals for protest hearings and notifies the protesting party of their scheduled hearing before the ARB. Property owners or their tax consultants appear before the ARB in person or by written affidavit as well as the appraisal district staff to present evidence concerning protested property accounts. The ARB makes independent rulings based on the evidence presented. The ARB then approves and submits an appraisal roll to the Chief Appraiser. The protest process begins around May 1 and concludes by July 20 of each year. The Chief Appraiser certifies the appraisal roll to the taxing entities of Wise County. Also there are ARB hearings held each Spring and Fall.

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13 Comptroller of Public Accounts Property Value Study At least once every two years, the comptroller conducts a study in each appraisal district to determine the degree of uniformity of and the median level of appraisals by the appraisal district within each major category of property. The comptroller shall publish a report of the findings of the study, including in the report the median levels of appraisal for each major category of property, the coefficient of dispersion around the median level of appraisal for each major category of property, and any other standard statistical measures that the comptroller considers appropriate. Methods and Assistance Program At least once every two years, the comptroller reviews the governance of each appraisal district, taxpayer assistance provided, and the operating and appraisal standards, procedures, and methodology used by each appraisal district, to determine compliance with generally accepted standards, procedures, and methodology

14 Complete copy of the review is available at: isouthwestdata.com drop box for Wise CAD

15 2015 LEGISLATIVE IMPLEMENTATION Administrative Website - An appraisal district is restricted from posting information that indicates the age of a property owner, including information that a property owner is 65 years of age or older, on the appraisal district s website. This may include whether the property owner qualifies for the over 65 homestead exemption, the tax ceiling or a tax deferral. Effective 9/1/15 Confidential Owners - A current or former employee of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, a current or former juvenile probation or supervision officer certified by the Department and a current or former employee of a juvenile justice program or facility are added to the list of people that may choose to restrict public access to home address information in the appraisal records. Effective 6/16/15 Agents - Section added that a lessee designated by a property owner as the owner s agent may designate a person to act as the lessee s agent, with the approval of the property owner, for any purpose in the Tax Code. The agent designated by the lessee has the same authority and limitations as an agent designated by a property owner. Effective 1/1/16 Forms - Section 5.07 is amended indicating that a property tax form may be signed by means of an electronically captured handwritten signature. It states that a property tax form is not invalid or unenforceable solely because the form is a photocopy, fax or electronic copy of the form. We do not have to accept the form if we do not have a signed agreement. Effective 1/1/16 Confidential Information Government Code & (Open Records) amended to provide that a photograph taken by the chief appraiser or appraiser s representative for property tax appraisal purposes and shows the improvement (building) interior is confidential information. The photograph may be disclosed to a requestor who had an ownership interest in the improvement on the date that the photograph was taken. A photograph may be used as evidence in a protest or an appeal if it is relevant to the matter protested or appealed. A photograph used as evidence remains confidential and may not be disclosed or used for any other purpose. A photograph may be used to ascertain the location of equipment used to produce or transmit oil and gas if that equipment is located on January 1 in the appraisal district that appraises property for the equipment for the preceding 365 consecutive days. If a request for public information includes a photograph, the public information officer may require the requestor to provide additional information sufficient to determine whether the requestor is eligible to receive the photograph. Effective 9/1/15 Appraisal Valuing Oil & Gas Section amended to change the calculation of the oil and gas price adjustment factor by using the West Texas Intermediate crude spot price on a per barrel basis rather than the imported low sulfur crude price. It also changes the gas calculation on a per million BTU basis. If by March 1, the most recent Annual Energy Outlook was published before December 1 of the previous year, the chief appraiser shall use the projected current and preceding year spot prices West Texas Intermediate for oil and Henry Hub for gas as stated in the US Energy Information Administration s Short Term Energy Outlook published in January. Effective 1/1/16

16 Appraisal Notice Section amended to add to the reappraisal notice to include an exemption or partial exemption approved for the property in the preceding year that was canceled or reduced for the current year. Additionally, the bill provides that the notice shall contain the amount of an exemption that was cancelled or reduced in the current year. Effective 1/1/16 Exemptions Homestead Exemption - If SJR 1 is approved by Texas voters, SB 1 increases the current $15,000 school homestead exemption to $25,000. Those over-65 or disabled homeowners with a school tax limitation would have their limitation adjusted for the additional exemption amount for the 2015 tax year. Effective for 2015 if Texas voters approve constitutional amendment November 3, Eggs Section amended to specifically adds eggs, regardless of whether the eggs are packaged, to the list of farm products exempt from property taxation. Effective 1/1/16 Surviving Spouse Totally Disabled Veterans Section would grant the total homestead exemption to the surviving spouse of a totally disabled veteran who would have qualified if Section had been authorized on the date the disabled veteran died. Current law, which was added in 2009 and approved for the surviving spouse in 2011 by Texas voters, did not address veterans who had died prior to those effective dates. The home must have been the deceased veteran's homestead and the survivor cannot have remarried. Effective 1/1/16 if Texas voters approve constitutional amendment November 3, Solar or Wind Power Energy Device Section amended changing the exemption application by a property owner for a solar or wind-powered energy device installed or constructed on property to a onetime application. Current law requires an annual application by the property owner. Effective 1/1/16 Cancelling an Over-65 Homestead Exemption - requires the appraisal district to send a notice by certified mail BEFORE cancelling an over-65 homestead exemption. The notice to the property owner must include a form on which the owner may indicate whether the owner qualifies for the exemption, along with a self-addressed, postage prepaid envelope with instructions for returning the form to the chief appraiser. The chief appraiser determines whether to continue to allow the exemption. If the chief appraiser does not receive a response on or before the 60th day after mailing the notice, the chief appraiser may cancel the exemption on or after the 30th day after the expiration of the 60- day period, but only after making a reasonable effort to locate the owner. A reasonable effort includes sending an additional notice of cancellation to the individual after the 60-day period by first class mail in an envelope with RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED in all capital letters so that the U. S. Post Office returns the notice if it is not deliverable as addressed, or by providing the additional notice in another manner that the chief appraiser determines appropriate. This notice of cancellation includes, in bold font equal to or greater in size that the surrounding text, the date on which the chief appraiser is authorized to cancel the exemption. This notice does not apply if the chief appraiser determines that the individual no longer owns the homestead property. Effective 9/1/15 Military Service Homestead Exemption Section amended that a homeowner continues to receive homestead exemptions while absent for military service inside the United States. Current law only addresses military service outside of the U. S. Effective 6/19/15

17 Removing Annual Application VA Organizations Section amended to remove the requirement that a veteran s organization apply annually for the exemption in Section 11.23(a). Once the exemption is allowed, the veteran s organization need not apply in subsequent years until the property changes ownership or qualifications change. Effective 1/1/16 Confidential Information Section amended to allow the appraisal district to disclose confidential information that includes a driver s license number, personal ID number or social security number on an exemption application to the agent of the appraisal district who appraises property or performs appraisal services for the district. Effective 9/1/15 Taxable Leasehold by a Corporation in a Public Facility Amended Local Government Code , , & that, during the period of time that a corporation owns a particular public facility, a leasehold or other possessory interest in the real property of the public facility shall be treated as a taxable leasehold. Tax Code Section provides that a leasehold is taxable if it is listed in the name of the owner of the leasehold. Effective 6/16/15 Special Valuation Over 65 Land Owner No Longer Eligible for Agricultural Appraisal Section added and Sections 1.07, 23.43, 23.46, 23.54, amended to add a new notice, sent by certified mail, to landowners who are 65 years of age or older that own qualified agricultural-use land before the chief appraiser makes a determination of change of use of the qualified land. The over-65 landowner may indicate that the land remains eligible on the form sent with the chief appraiser s notice. The chief appraiser includes a self addressed, postage prepaid envelope and instructions on returning the form. The chief appraiser considers the owner s response in determining whether the land remains eligible for ag-use appraisal. If the chief appraiser does not receive a response on or before the 60th day after mailing the notice, the chief appraiser must make a reasonable effort to locate the owner and determine whether the land s use has changed. A reasonable effort is sending an additional notice to the owner immediately after the expiration of the 60-day period by first class mail in an envelope on which is written, in all capital letters, "RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED," directing the U. S. Postal Service to return the notice if it is not deliverable as addressed, or providing the additional notice in another manner that the chief appraiser determines is appropriate. The Texas Comptroller s application forms for agricultural appraisal must include a space for the property owner to state the owner s date of birth. Failure to provide the date of birth does not affect the owner s right to the agricultural designation. Effective 9/1/15 ARB Comparable Properties in a Protest or Appeal Based on Unequal Appraisal Section amended to provide that the selection of comparable properties and the application of appropriate adjustments for the determination of an appraised value of property under a protest to the ARB or to district court shall be based upon the application of generally accepted appraisal methods and techniques. Adjustments must be based on recognized methods and techniques that are necessary to produce a credible opinion. Notwithstanding this requirement, property owners representing themselves are entitled to offer an opinion of and present argument and evidence related to the market and appraised value or the inequality of appraisal of the owner s property. Effective 1/1/16