Volume 4, Issue 5 In God We Trust May 1, 2017

In This Issue: appraised value of their property is

Motor Vehicle News .......... 3
Property Tax News ............ 4
A Look Back ...................... 6
Whats Been Happening .... 9
KAB ................................... 11
Contact Information and
Map of Locations ............... 12
May Dates to Remember:
Special Inventory Tax
Due.....10 annual appraisal notices from the
Mothers Day.14 TAD sends them out no later than
Staff Development Day..10
(all Tarrant County Tax locations are closed)
Memorial Day Holiday...29
(all Tarrant County Offices are closed)
Southwest Office Move
Southwest Branch has moved
to a new location:
Hulen Bend
6080 S. Hulen St., Suite 430
Fort Worth TX 76132
Ron Wright
The Wright Stuff
The Truth About Taxes
By now most property owners in
Tarrant County have received their
doesnt end until tax rates, always
Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD).
by the taxing units five months
May 1. Due to more growth in the
county and a hot real estate market,
property values are expected to
Taxing News is an article titled
increase again this year.
Tax payers who believe the new
wrong and/or unfair have until the
end of this month to file a protest
with the appraisal district. Taxpay-
ers can work directly with TAD
staff or a hearing before the Ap-
praisal Review Board (ARB) will
then be scheduled. The ARB
consists of approximately 72
citizens of the county who meet in
small panels for several months to
hear appraisal protests. Many
appraisals are adjusted through this
process, but its just the beginning
for taxpayers concerned about ever
rising property taxes. The process
the determining factor, are adopted
from now.
Elsewhere in this edition of
Understanding Your Property
Taxes. It describes the property
tax system in Texas at its most
basic level. It is relatively straight-
forward. It answers the most
Continued on Page 2
Volume 4, Issue 5
The Wright Stuff, Continued
frequently asked questions, but
we have experts on staff who are
prepared to answer much more.
The property tax code is not
particularly complex, and yet,
misunderstandings abound. Part
of the job of the Tax Assessor-
Collector is to assist in the
education of the public on
matters related to the tax office,
whether property tax or motor
vehicle. We pledge to give you
facts, not opinions and not what
may be politically expedient.
Telling the truth about prop-
erty taxes and who controls
them is a necessary part of any
tax assessor-collectors job.
Thats why we invest so much
time in taking classes and pass-
ing tests to get certified as
Profession County Collectors.
Taxpayers have a right to know
about the taxes they pay, and we
in the Office of Tarrant County
Tax Assessor-Collector have an
Read the full article in the Dallas Morning News at
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/03/31/blame-appraisal-
district-property-taxes.
Taxing News May 1, 2017
Understanding your Property Taxes
was published in the Tarrant
County News & Information section
of the Star-Telegram in April 2017.
obligation to explain it to them
as simply and honestly as possi-
ble.
The brief explanation in this
newsletter also appears on our
webpage and in informational
brochures available to the
public. It also has been pub-
lished recently in the Star-
Telegram and Dallas Morning
News newspapers. Please take
the time to read it, and let us Newsletter
know anytime you have ques- Noncents
tions. We are here to do more
than take your money; we also There were no winners from last month.
are here to help you understand Last months question: What was the
name of the Fort Worth firefighters
why you give it to us in the first
mascot that escaped?
place. Answer: Billy (from last months history
Ron Wright Wheres Tyler?
article, pg. 6)
This month, we feature a story on page 10 about
one of the Tax Office IT Support Team members.
Watch for the Wheres Tyler? pictures
throughout this issue.
Send your guesses to enter your name to win the
prize.($5 Starbucks Gift Card). Your guess should
include the page number of the picture and
where you think Tyler is. The entry with the
most correct answers will win! Good luck!
Email your answer to
2
 Motor Vehicle
News Track online renewals at
http://www.txdmv.gov/track
Dorothy Starr, MV Director

Above: Front of new temporary location.

The branch office previously located at

6551 Granbury Road in Fort Worth has moved to
6080 Hulen Street in Fort Worth.

Above: Inside of new temporary Tax Office on

Wheres Tyler? Hulen Street in Fort Worth.

REMINDER TO INSPECT THEN RENEW:

Vehicles which do not receive a commercial inspection:

Registration permitted if a passing vehicle inspection
occurs in the 90 days prior to the day you renew your vehicle registration.
3
Volume 4, Issue 5 Taxing News
Understanding Your Property Taxes
Three factors are used to calculate the
property taxes you pay: value, exemptions and
rate. Appraising the value and granting exemptions
is the responsibility of the Tarrant Appraisal Dis-
trict. Tax rates, the primary instrument of taxation,
are adopted each year by the local taxing units in
which you live.
Almost all property owners in Tarrant
County will pay taxes to at least five local taxing
units: the county, the county college district
(Tarrant County College), the county hospital
district (John Peter Smith Health Network), a city
and a school district. Some residents will also pay
taxes to the Tarrant Water District and/or the Emer-
gency Services District that provides emergency
service to residents in unincorporated areas of the
county. With the exception of the cities of Grape-
vine and Colleyville and the Grapevine/Colleyville
Independent School District, property taxes for all
taxing units wholly within Tarrant County are
collected by the county Tax Assessor-Collector
through contract.
The Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) is
governed by a board of five voting members ap-
pointed by the taxing units in the county. The Tax
Assessor-Collector sits on the board as an ex officio
(non-voting) member. The chief executive officer
of the appraisal district in charge of day-to-day
operations is the Chief
Appraiser. Texas law
requires that all property
appraisals be fair and
uniform and that a roll of
all properties with names,
addresses, exemptions and
values be provided to the
taxing units by July 25 of
each year.
The governing
Jeff Law
Chief Appraiser at TAD bodies of the local taxing
For more information on Disabled and Over-65 Homestead Exemptions, as well as other
exemptions you may qualify for, contact Tarrant Appraisal District at 817-284-4063.
4
May 1, 2017
units (school boards, city councils, etc.) publish
their Truth In Taxation information every Au-
gust. This includes the effective and rollback tax
rates. The effective rate is the rate required to
produce the same revenue from the same properties
taxed in both the current and previous years. It does
not include new properties or new construc-
tion. The rollback rate is the rate that would result
in an increase sufficient to trigger a rollback elec-
tion, currently eight percent.
By the end of the fiscal year, the local taxing
units must adopt their operating budgets for the
coming year and a tax rate that is projected to
produce enough revenue to fund the budget. For the
vast majority of taxing units, the fiscal year ends
September 30, although some entities in the state
have a fiscal year that ends June 30.
The county Tax Assessor-Collector takes the
value data from TAD, applies the tax rates adopted
by the taxing units and sends out tax statements in
October of each year. Although taxpayers have
until January 31 of the following calendar year to
pay their property taxes without incurring penalty
and interest, taxes are due upon receipt of the tax
statement.
The property tax system in Texas is de-
signed to ensure that elected officials who are
accountable to the people determine how much
taxes you pay. Each year the various school boards,
city councils, commissioners courts and other
governing bodies adopt tax rates that will increase
revenue, decrease revenue or keep revenue the same
as the previous year.
Property values are known in the Spring
when the appraisal district sends out appraisal
notices, but taxpayers dont know what their taxes
will be until five months later when the taxing units
adopt their budgets and tax rates. The tax rates
adopted by local elected officials always determine
the amount of taxes that appear on your tax state-
ment.
Property taxes are collected for one purpose only:
to fund government operations and the many ser-
vices we have come to expect from our local gov-
ernments. There is always a direct correlation
between growth in the cost of government and
growth in taxes. The widely held notion that prop-
erty value drives taxes, that if value goes up taxes
will automatically go up, is and has always been a
myth. Property value, as it
relates to property taxes, is
inert; it doesnt drive anything.
Government spending drives
taxes. Government spending
drives tax increases. It is the only thing that does
and the only thing that ever has.
Although county residents who dont like their
property appraisal are encouraged to file a protest,
this is only the beginning of the effort to lower your
property tax burden. The end comes in September
when the taxing units adopt their spending budgets
and the tax rates necessary to fund those budgets.
That is when the choices are made by your elected
officials that determine how much taxes you will
pay. Citizens are always encouraged to engage their
local elected officials about taxes and any other
concerns they may have that fall under the responsi-
bility of local governments.

You can find Truth in

Taxation calculations on
the main property tax page
of our website at
www.tarrantcounty.com.

Wheres Tyler?

Left: Glenn Smith from Linebarger, Attorneys at Law,

teaches the Property Tax Law, Course 7, to Tarrant
County employees and appraisers and Tax Office staff
from surrounding counties. The course covers all aspects
of the law pertaining to property tax and is a
requirement for certification through Texas Department
of Licensing & Regulation and Tax Assessor-Collectors
Association.

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Volume 4, Issue 5 Taxing News May 1, 2017

A Look Back.. By Ron Wright

Texas Spring Palace Flames Out
One of the worst disasters in
county history occurred in Fort
Worth on the South end of
downtown near the present-day
intersection of Main St. and Lan-
caster Avenue in 1890. The fab-
ulous Texas Spring Palace, an
architecturally unique exhibition
center built a year earlier, went
up in flames on a night when the
building was packed with peo-
ple.
Designed to draw people and
commerce to North Texas, the
palace was the brainchild of Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/FortWorth/duplicates/3lfv5m/ever_wonder_about_the_spring_palace_mentioned_on/

Robert Cameron of the Fort

Worth and Denver Railway.
The idea of a regional fair-like
venue to exhibit produce and
Texas-made machinery products
was quickly championed by Fort
Worth civic leaders like B.B.
Paddock. Subscriptions from
local individuals and businesses
paid the construction costs.
Made primarily from wood, the
towering structure was complet-
ed in thirty one days. The exte-
rior was painted green and in-
cluded turnip-shaped cupolas
and a massive center dome.
The palace opened on May
29, 1889, and was a huge suc-
cess. More than 50 counties in
Texas sent produce and manu- cert when the fire broke out.
factured products to exhibit. Some later reported that the fire
Dried corn and grain stalks dec- started when a boy stepped on a
orated the interior. Exhibits in- match at the base of one of the
cluded grains, grasses, fruits, interior columns decorated with
vegetables, and minerals pro- dried produce. Within minutes
duced in the state. Floral, scien- the building was a fiery mass.
tific, and art exhibits were also Smoke filled the air, and with
included. It was estimated that exits crammed, people panicked.
28 percent of the visitors to the Some jumped from the second
Texas Spring Palace were from story.
out of state.
With thousands reported on
The second season scheduled hand for the final night of the
for May10-31, 1890, was even exhibition season, the result
more popular. The last night on could have been mass casualties.
May 30, the building was packed That almost everyone escaped is
with spectators and people danc- something of a miracle. Two
ing. The Elgin National Watch people were singled out for their
Band had just concluded a con- bravery that night. A fifteen
6
A Look Back, cont...
year old girl named Ada Large was credited with helping
guide a number of people, including children out of the in-
ferno. She was given a gold medal and $25 from the city for
her heroism.
The other hero was English civil engineer Al Hayne who
was seen repeatedly running into the building and pulling
people out. Hayne saved many lives that night, and when it
was over, there was only one casualty from the fire. Al
Hayne died the following day from the numerous burns he
suffered. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
Above: The Burning Palace
Source: http://hometownbyhandlebar.com/?p=11971

Efforts to raise money to rebuild the Texas

Spring Palace failed in the wake of the Economic
Panic of 1893. However the enthusiasm for re-
gional exhibitions to compete with Dallas and its
state fair did not wane. Ultimately, the same civic
enthusiasm helped produce the annual fat stock
show and rodeo in Fort Worth.

In 1893 the Womens Humane Association

dedicated a watering fountain and monument to
Haynes courage. This was one of four horse
fountains on private property that the ladies
association funded. The Al Hayne monument has
been repaired and restored at least three times
since then and can be seen in the shade of a live
oak tree just east of the T&P Railroad building
on Lancaster Ave.

Above: Al Hayne Memorial in Fort Worth

Source: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7H9Z_Al_Hayne_Fort_Worth_Texas

7
Volume 4, Issue 5 Taxing News May 1, 2017

Tax Office
Wheres Stats for Phone Calls
Tyler? Received
April 2017
17,836

The blue comment cards are an important tool for letting your Tax
Property Tax
Assessor-Collector, Ron Wright, know how we are doing in all of Amount
the branches. Collected
Motor Vehicle
Please complete a card at your next visit. The office with the $29,251,339 Titles
highest percentage of positive comment cards each quarter wins Processed
the coveted Customer Service banner to display in their office for
46,602
the next quarter!
Property Tax
Our Vision:
Accounts Paid
We are a professional team of positive and dedicated individuals
who serve with integrity, tenacity, and compassion in an
innovative and inclusive environment.
26,589
Motor Vehicle
Mission Statement Registrations
Processed
We will serve the citizens of Tarrant County with pride,
courtesy, respect, and determination. 135,375
We will achieve excellence in what we do by providing
accurate, efficient, and timely service consistent with the laws
of the State of Texas and the highest ethical standard.

Staff Development Day DID YOU KNOW?

May 10, 2017 You can request Ron

Wright to speak to
All Tax Office branches will be closed your group by emailing

Tax-SDC@tarrantcounty.com.

Be sure to include the

name and date of the
event along with your
contact information.

8
Whats Been Happening...
Tarrant Appraisal District Leadership Development Series
Visits Tax Office

Above: Tarrant Appraisal District staff were here on

April 5 to gather information from Tarrant County
Above: The Leadership Development Series for managers and
Property Tax staff regarding how we use their
directors kicked off on April 18 with the first of three sessions for
Aumentum system so they can customize it to our
this year. The discussion, led by James Bird Guess of the James
needs. Above, left to right: Joe Abrego, Tarrant County Bird Guess International Success Academy, covered information
Research/Assessment Supervisor; Mele Langlois, to equip managers on how to effectively empower employees to
Quality Management Manager; Mayra Avalos, take ownership and responsibility for their work.
Exemption Expert on the Quality Management Team,
and Kurt Myers, Consultant, all from Tarrant Appraisal
District; and Jeffrey Hodges, Tarrant County Research/
Wheres Tyler?
Assessment Manager.

Left: Celebrating, with food of

course, the promotion of Robert
Browder to Chief of the Civil
Division with the Tarrant County
Criminal District Attorneys Office
and thanking the staff from the
DAs office who help us with a
range of issues in the Tax Office.
Pictured here, left to right: Jeffrey
Gray, Robert Browder, and
Michelle Humphreys, from the
DAs office; Ron Wright, Dorothy
Starr, Anita El Sakhawy and Tom
Spencer from the Tax Office.

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Volume 4, Issue 5 Taxing News May 1, 2017

Whats Been Happening...

Movin On Up
Camryn Robbins
was recently promoted to
the position of Motor
Vehicle Supervisor at
Elisa Dorsey Nicole Labbe Natascha Morris the Arlington branch.
Customer Service Customer Service Part-time Customer
Representative Representative Service Representative
She has worked as a
Motor Vehicle Specialist
Welcome New Employees at the downtown Fort Worth and Arlington branches
for the past four years, and worked at a
motorcycle dealership for five years before
coming to us. She says she loves helping people
and customer service is a big thing to me! She
Wheres Tyler? also loves the people she works with.
Robbins has been married for 3 1/2 years to
The Tax Office works closely with one of Tarrant Ron Robbins, also a county employee, has a 2
County Information Technologies finest, Tyler year old son, Fisher, and an 8 year old 100 lb. dog
Reainthong. Recently, Tom Spencer learned of his love named Kimbo Slice (or Bumbo according to
to travel the world and invited him to include some of Fisher). Their hobbies, aside from spending time
his stories in our newsletter. Hopefully you have found with their son, include hunting and fishing.
some of his pictures scattered throughout the pages of Congratulations, Camryn!
this edition of Taxing News. Here is what he had to say:

My first solo trip abroad was in 2013 to visit Angel Falls in Venezuela. That
was one of the places on my bucket list and I had made an impromptu flight
booking to Caracas to use up vacation time from work.
Being in a foreign country with virtually no planning and knowing very little
Spanish put me way out of my comfort zone but that provided me with a lot of
personal growth.
I relied heavily on people I met along the way. It turned out to be one of my
most memorable trips - visiting small towns, staying in hostels, riding a small
plane to get to camp, a half-day boat ride upstream, and getting to sleep in a
hammock in the rainforest on the way to the falls. The friendliness of the locals,
friends I made along the way, and culture shock had given me the travel bug and I
wanted to keep exploring.
Since then, I've traveled to over 50 countries across 6 continents. Some of the my most memorable travel
experiences have been cruising through Norwegian fjords on a fishing boat, driving the Transfagarasan
highway in Romania, seeing the interior of the Sagrada Familia, and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.
Traveling abroad and experiencing different cultures helps keep me grounded and appreciative of the
people and things I have in my life.

10
 Wheres
Tyler?

Customer
Macy, DT PT: Ver y nice and under standing.
service is
not a Gabby, DT MV: Gabby per for med her job ver y well.
department, James, SW: This is my second time with J ames. Excellent Ser vice. Gr eat Knowledge.
its Michelle, SL: The cler ks wer e helpful, under standing and efficient.
everyones Sandy, NW: ...Sandy was so ver y helpful and spoke clear . Ver y pr ofessional and kind.
job.
Sherry, NE: Oper ation ver y efficient. Customer ser vice always exceptional.
Shelly, Mansfield: ...This young lady has waited on me 3 differ ent times and is an
employee to be proud of.
Quyen, Arlington: Ver y good customer ser vice. Kind, pr ecise, clear and ver y cour teous.

These employees are to be honored in Commissioners Court in May for their years of service:
Rose Enriquez20 Years
Tina Keyser20 Years
Vickie Doane20 Years
Janet Carter-Harvey15 Years
Ingrid Lira15 Years
Frances Parsons15 Years

Camryn Robbins ........................ 3 Michael Ryan Amador .............. 9

Kat Woldt .................................. 6
Danny Nichols ........................... 7
Lalania Gaines ........................... 7
Kim Jayme ................................ 8
Jan Phillips ................................ 9
Karina Villalba .......................... 10
Amelia Rice ............................... 13
Erika Fitchett ............................. 19
Julia Strickland .......................... 20 Joan Coulter ............................... 23
Carmen Holloway ...................... 21

11
Volume 4, Issue 5 Taxing News May 1, 2017
Tarrant County
Tax Office Locations
Hours: MondayFriday
8:00 am5:00 pm
CONTACT US
Main Office Building Northwest
817-884-1100
100 East Weatherford St. 6713 Telephone Rd. Rm. 101
Fort Worth, TX 76196 Lake Worth, TX 76135 Email Property Tax Department
Phone: 817-884-1100 Phone: 817-238-4435 at:
taxoffice@tarrantcounty.com
Arlington Poly
700 E. Abram St. 3212 Miller Ave.
Arlington, TX 76010 Fort Worth, TX 76105 Email Motor Vehicle
Phone: 817-548-3935 Phone: 817-531-5635
Department at:

Mansfield Southlake mvt@tarrantcounty.com

1100 E. Broad St.
Mansfield, TX 76063
Phone: 817-473-5127
Northeast
645 E. Grapevine Highway
Hurst, TX 76054
Phone: 817-581-3635
1400 Main St. Suite 110
Southlake TX 76092 Questions about the newsletter may
Phone: 817-481-8141 be directed to
Vickie Doane at
Southwest (beg. 3/28/17)
Tax-SDC@tarrantcounty.com
6080 S. Hulen Street, Ste 430
Fort Worth, TX 76132
Phone: 817-370-4535
Visit our website at:
www.tarrantcounty.com

Registration renewals may be

purchased at AAA at Alliance and your
local Fiesta, Kroger, and Tom Thumb
stores in Bedford, Hurst, Keller, Mansfield,
Southlake, Arlington, Grapevine, and Fort
Worth.
Check our website for a list of locations
at www.tarrantcounty.com.
Be sure to bring your renewal notice,
proof of insurance, proof of vehicle
inspection and an acceptable form of ID
such as a Texas Drivers License or ID

Email Tax-SDC@tarrantcounty.com to subscribe to our monthly newsletter distribution list.

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