Applicants Sought for Appraisal Review Board Service
Houston — District Judge Robert K. Schaffer, administrative judge for the state district
courts in Harris County, is accepting applications from Harris County citizens interested in
service on the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB was created by the Texas
Legislature to provide an independent judicial review of taxpayer protests of valuations
established by the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD).
Service on the ARB would begin in January 2019. Applications must be submitted by
the applicant directly to Judge Schaffer through the HCAD human resources division
beginning August 31 and received no later than October 15, 2018, in order to be
considered. Applications from third parties will not be accepted. A former ARB member
who has served three consecutive terms may be reappointed after sitting out a year.
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 September. Weekday hearings are also held throughout the
year. ARB members are not always scheduled every day, but must be available to serve if
needed.
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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 on the ARB for at least a year if they have served for all or part of three consecutive
terms. 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. Any individual who has ever been employed by HCAD or has ever served as a
member of the district’s board of directors.
5. 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.
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Current application forms are available at www.hcad.org. 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:
Judge Robert K. Schaffer
c/o HCAD Human Resources Division
P.O. Box 920975
Houston, Texas 77292-0975
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