Dear Applicant:
Attached is an application for appointment to the Walker County Appraisal Review Board (“ARB”).
The ARB is made up of five (5) residents of Walker County with the purpose of hearing property owner protests that cannot be resolved by the Walker Country Appraisal District (Walker CAD).
ARB members are paid a per diem of $150 for each full day they actually serve. As hearings are scheduled, occasionally half-day hearings are necessary and are paid at ½ the regular per diem, or $75.
It is important that you understand this is a full-time commitment, with hearings typically 2-3 days a week spanning from May through August, with the potential for hearings to continue into September or later, depending on the volume of protests filed with the appraisal district. You must be available for service during this time and willing to serve on Saturdays and /or after business hours if a taxpayer requests an evening or weekend date. You will not have hearings scheduled every day; however, ARB members must be available to serve when called. Vacations and other employment commitments are not considered valid reasons for absenteeism.
Effective July 2024, ARB Member appointments are made by the Walker CAD Board of Directors.
Applications will be forwarded to the Directors for review and consideration in a duly posted open meeting. Walker CAD has an appointed support staff member who provides whatever reasonable assistance is deemed necessary by the CAD Directors to facilitate the appointment of ARB members in accordance with Property Tax Code, Sec. 6.41.
If you are confident you can meet this demanding schedule, possess the qualifications noted on the next page, and believe you can reach decisions based solely on the evidence presented in each hearing, please return the completed application form to:
Walker County Appraisal District
Attn: CAD Support Staff to ARB
P.O. Box 1798
Huntsville, TX 77342
Your interest in this important civic duty is appreciated. If we can provide you with additional information, please call Walker CAD @ 936-295-0402 to speak with Jamie Innerarity, Walker CAD’s support staff for the ARB. You may also email your application to info@walkercad.org
ARB Membership Qualifications
1) Must be at least 18 years old, must currently reside in Walker County, and must have resided in Walker County for at least the last two years.
2) Cannot be a current or former employee, officer, or member of the board of directors of the Walker County Appraisal District.
3) Cannot be a current member of the governing body or an officer or a full or part-time employee of a taxing unit (a local government that levies property taxes) in this state.
Taxing units include the counties, school districts, cities, community, and junior college districts that levy property taxes, and special districts that levy property taxes.
4) Cannot be a current employee of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
5) Cannot have ever appeared before the Walker County Appraisal Review Board for compensation.
6) A member or spouse may not currently be a party to a contract with this appraisal district or a taxing unit served by the Walker County Appraisal District.
7) No business in which you have a substantial interest (defined as ownership by you and/or your spouse of at least 10% of the voting stock or shares of the business entity or service by you or your spouse as a partner, limited partner, or officer of the business entity) may currently be a party to a contract with the Walker County Appraisal District or a taxing unit served by the Walker County Appraisal District.
8) A member is ineligible if property is owned and delinquent taxes have been owed to any taxing unit in this state for more than 60 days after the date you knew or should have known the taxes were delinquent, unless the taxes are being paid under an installment agreement under Sec. 33.02, Tax Code, or the taxes are deferred or abated under Sec. 33.06 or 33.065, Tax Code.
9) Cannot be related within the second degree, by consanguinity or affinity, to (1) a person who does business as a paid property tax consultant in Walker County; or (2) a person who performs appraisals for use in property tax proceedings in Walker County. You cannot be related within the third degree by consanguinity or the second degree by affinity to an officer or member of the board of directors of the Walker County Appraisal District. Relatives within the second degree include your spouse, parent, child, son-inlaw, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister, spouse of a brother or sister, stepchild, stepparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and the brother or sister of your spouse. Relatives by consanguinity within the third degree also include great-grandparents, great-grandchildren, the brother, or sister of either of your parents, and nieces and nephews.
10) ARB Members may serve 3 consecutive 2-year terms. Members may return to serve following a 2-year break in service.
11) You must be of good moral character.
