This story was updated with election results. It will be updated again as more votes are tallied.
A slate of candidates endorsed by County Judge Tim O’Hare and supported by more than $70,000 in PAC funding has won the race for three new Tarrant Appraisal District board positions, according to unofficial voting results.
With all precincts reporting, Eric Morris, a Haltom City Council member, won the race for Place 1 with 53.9% of the vote. Sayeda Bilqees Syed secured 24.66% of the vote, and Trae Fowler trailed with 21.37%.
Callie Rigney, Colleyville’s mayor pro-tem, won the race for Place 2 with 62.15% of the vote. Eric Crile trailed with 37.85%.
Matt Bryant, a real estate investor, won the race for Place 3 with 50.50% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff election. Lee Henderson secured 30.94% of the early vote, and Chuck Kelley trailed with 18.56%.
Morris, Rigney and Bryant far outpaced their rivals in both fundraising and money spent. The trio contributed more than $54,000 to the Tarrant Taxpayer Advocates PAC, which then spent $71,092 on direct mailers, texts and consulting for the slate.
They ran on a platform of capping residential appraisal increases at 5% and limiting appraisals to once every three years. The district’s chief appraiser has said limiting appraisals is not allowed by law.
They were endorsed as a slate by multiple Republican leaders, including County Judge Tim O’Hare. His decision to make endorsements in the races drew criticism from some candidates. Candidate Chuck Kelley also criticized O’Hare for allegedly pressuring Kelley not to run after he filed a candidate application with O’Hare’s office.
This is the first time residents have a direct say in who sits on the appraisal district’s board of directors. Up to this point, board members have been elected by taxing entities such as school boards and city councils. A constitutional amendment approved by voters in November changed that by creating three new at-large positions in Texas’ 50 largest counties.
Board members govern the appraisal district, and their positions are nonpartisan by law. They are responsible for selecting the chief appraiser, adopting the annual budget and ensuring the district follows procedures set by law. The board does not appraise property. Board members are not paid.
Those given the voters’ stamp of approval will join the tax assessor-collector and five board members elected by the taxing entities, starting July 1. The election comes after a leadership overhaul in the district and the hiring of new Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt in December.
Two of the three elected board members will serve four-year terms; they will draw straws to determine who will serve a two-year term ahead of the November 2026 election. After 2026, all elected board members will serve four-year terms moving forward.
Among the board’s top tasks in the coming months is tightening the district’s cybersecurity following a ransomware attack that resulted in leaked taxpayer information. The district extended its deadline to protest a residential property valuation after the attack delayed access to TAD’s online protest tool. Residents have until May 24 to challenge an appraisal.
