The board members appoint and oversee the employees who determine property values for tax purposes; they also appoint members to the review boards that handle contested property value appraisals. Before now, the appraisal district boards were made up of one elected county tax assessor-collector and members appointed by the local taxing bodies (cities, counties and school districts.) But a 2023 state law, passed because of mounting pressure from property owners complaining of skyrocketing appraisals, restructured local appraisal district boards across the state. Proponents for the bill said it would increase public oversight of what is largely an opaque process.
“Anytime you have people who are elected and responsible directly to the voters and the taxpayers, that’s a positive thing versus an appointee or a bureaucrat,” Cindy Siegel, Harris County Republican Party Chair, told the Houston Landing.
With the new structure, one chair is reserved for the county tax assessor-collector, five positions are appointed and three nonpartisan positions are elected to serve four-year terms. While frustrations about surging appraisals have been voiced by property owners across the state, some political experts predicted the inaugural appraisal board races would be somewhat low-stakes. Only counties larger than 75,000 residents even held elections for the seats, and out of 50 eligible counties in Texas, 30 either didn't draw challengers or canceled their elections after failing to have a single person file for the seat.
“It just all adds up to this very lackluster interest into what could make a difference, particularly in these large metropolitan counties that have seen their property values just skyrocket over the last decade,” Renée Cross, senior executive director of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, told the Texas Tribune.
In Dallas County, two seats were uncontested. Here are the three individuals elected to the Dallas Central Appraisal District Board on May 4.
Place 1: P. Wylie Burge
Place 1 was the only contested seat in the Dallas County appraisal board election. Burge won the seat with 66.5% of the votes. His opponent, Ekambar Kumar Singirikonda, secured 33.5% of the votes.Who he is: Burge is a podiatrist and the owner of Lakewood Foot and Ankle Specialists. Before going into the medical profession he studied engineering at Southern Methodist University, and in a questionnaire given by dvillegop.com — a conservative-leaning ballot guide — he says he has “never been a fan of politics.”
What he ran on: The large increase in property taxes can be attributed to an influx of out-of-state residents and inflated property values, Burge told dvillegop.com. Burge said he hopes his position will “provide some civilian representation to keep local governments in check.” He specifically wants to ensure there are no conflicts of interest between the county and hired appraisers, and wants to protect homeowners from “overzealous appraisals.”
Place 2: Kendall Scudder
The Place 2 election was uncontested. Scudder received 59,700 votes.Who he is: Scudder is a Junius Heights resident and has experience in a variety of public service organizations, including the City of Dallas’ Civil Service Board and the legislative committee of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas. He has also served as Finance Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party.
What he ran on: Scudder’s priorities include “fair, equitable and uniform appraisals,” and due process for residents protesting their appraisals. He is concerned about working-class Dallasites being priced out of their homes and mega-corporations “obfuscating” their tax obligations.
Place 3: Alexandra Stewart
The Place 3 election was uncontested. Stewart received 59,954 votes.Who she is: Stewart moved to Dallas County in 2016 and works as a strategy and investments associate, according to dvillegop.com. She told the website she is “not a career politician” and has no plans to be, but wanted to leverage her background in real estate to better serve her community. She has experience as an appraiser for medical office, commercial and industrial properties.
What she ran on: Stewart told dvillegop.com that she believes DCAD can be the best appraisal district in the state, and she hopes to ensure that residents who protest their taxes are treated with fairness and dignity. She wants to raise awareness for tax exemptions such as homestead exemptions and senior tax deferments. While not a homeowner, Stewart said she has “felt the implications” of increasing property taxes through rising rent prices.
