A company representing Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s appeal of his home appraisal value dropped its challenge the day of a board review, leaving the estimated property tax bill at nearly $33,000.
A Dallas County Appraisal Review Board panel was scheduled Monday to consider the appeal from the mayor and his wife of the appraised value of their more than 5,000-square-foot White Rock Lake area home, but the case never got to the group, said Cheryl Jordan, director of community relations with the Dallas Central Appraisal District.
“The property tax agent agreed to leave the value as is and waived their right to an ARB hearing,” Jordan said. She said she didn’t know why the challenge was dropped. Still, the Johnsons have up to 60 days to contest the appraised home value further via arbitration or a lawsuit, Jordan said.
Toby Toler with Toler Company, a property tax consulting firm representing the Johnsons, declined to comment after the hearing Monday on behalf of his clients on possible next steps.
Johnson and his wife contested the appraised value of their home to try to lower their estimated property tax bill of around $33,000. The home, which they have owned since 2012, was appraised at nearly $1.6 million. Around 28% of the property taxes would go to the city.
Mayor Johnson, in a late Sunday newsletter, said all city homeowners should consider protesting their homes’ appraised value.
Johnson and his office didn’t respond to requests for comment Friday from The Dallas Morning News about his appeal but instead confirmed the protest in a late Sunday newsletter. His office didn’t immediately respond Monday to The News’ inquiry about the home nor explain why a response came first in a newsletter.
“Every Dallas homeowner deserves a fair and accurate appraisal of his or her home’s value,” Johnson said in a statement in his newsletter. “And the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) needs your factual input and evidence to ensure the tax roll is accurate.”
He also encouraged residents to seek property tax consultants to see whether they qualify for one or more exemptions that could lower their property tax bill.
Johnson, last month during the inauguration for the Dallas City Council, said one of goals for his latest term was to push for Dallas having the lowest property tax rate among major cities in the North Texas area.
Of the ten largest cities in Texas, Dallas’ property tax rate is the second-highest, behind only El Paso. Dallas’ rate is 74.58 cents per $100 valuation.
Property tax relief is a hot topic locally, as well as statewide.
State lawmakers reached a deal Monday during a special legislative session to cut property taxes for 5.7 million Texas homeowners.
The deadline to contest any action taken by the Appraisal District has passed.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas- at the bottom.
