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Applicants Wanted for Appraisal Review Board Service

  • Published on Jul 28, 2020
  • by User Not Found

Applications for Appraisal Review Board (ARB) members are being accepted by District Judge Robert K. Schaffer, administrative judge for the state district courts in Harris County.

The ARB was created by the Texas Legislature to provide an independent judicial review of property owner protests of values established by the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD).  

Service on the ARB will begin as soon as training is complete.  Applications from Harris County citizens interested in ARB service must be submitted by the applicant directly to Judge Schaffer through the HCAD human resources division to be considered. Applications from third parties will not be accepted.  The application process will be open until the current vacancies are filled.

The ARB is a citizen board that sits in panels of three to hear testimony and review evidence in order to determine property owner protests which cannot be resolved informally with HCAD.

Service on the review board does not constitute a full-time job, but members are compensated per diem when conducting hearings and attending ARB meetings.  ARB members are required to attend ARB meetings in addition to serving on panels for actual ARB hearings.   

Review board service is generally a full-time commitment during the summer and fall months and requires members to be available to serve all day, every weekday and several Saturdays from May through the end of the year.  Weekday hearings are also held throughout the year.  ARB members are not always scheduled every day, but must be available to serve if needed.

Candidates for the ARB must be current residents of Harris County, having resided in the county for at least two years; must be up to date on property tax payments for property in Texas or show the tax is being paid under an installment agreement; and must not have served all or part of three previous terms as an ARB member.  Persons who fall into any of the following categories are not eligible to serve: 

  1. An individual currently employed by the State Comptroller of Public Accounts, or who is a member of the governing body, an officer, or a full- or part-time employee of a county, city, school district, community college district, MUD, or any other entity supported by local property taxes.  Former governing body members, or officers of a taxing unit served by HCAD, are ineligible for four full years from the date they ceased to serve in that capacity.
  2. Anyone who personally, or whose spouse personally, has a contract with local government or an appraisal district.  The same restriction applies if the person, or his or her spouse, owns a 10 percent or greater interest in a business which contracts with a local government or appraisal district.
  3. Persons who have appeared before the ARB for compensation as a tax consultant, accountant, appraiser, or representative of a property owner less than two years before the date the person is appointed.
  4. A person who has served all or part of three previous terms as a board member or auxiliary board member on the ARB.
  5. Any individual who has ever been employed by HCAD or has ever served as a member of the district’s board of directors. 
  6. Persons who have served as a member of the governing body or officer of a taxing unit in Harris County until four years after resigning that position.
  7. Applicants who are presently under indictment or have previously been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. 

     

    Applicants selected as finalists will be scheduled for interviews.  Here are some important contact numbers for those interested in applying to become an ARB member.

    Current application forms are available at www.hcad.org under the “ARB Application” button.  Only current application forms from this site will be considered.  Application forms may also be obtained by calling the ARB executive office at 713.957.5265.   If that number is busy, call the office of the Taxpayer Liaison Officer as a backup contact at 713.957.7499.

    Calls requesting information about ARB service requirements should go to 713.957.5265.    

    Applications should be submitted to:

    Electronically:

    ARB_Recruitment@hcad.org

    Please put “To Judge Robert K. Schaffer” in the subject line. 

    By Mail:

    Judge Robert K. Schaffer 
    c/o HCAD Human Resources Division
    P.O. Box 920975
    Houston, Texas 77292-0975