Appraisal Review Board seeks new members
Milam County citizens interested in ensuring fairness in property taxation are being sought to serve on the appraisal review board (ARB) for the Milam Appraisal District.
Members of the ARB sit in a single-member panel or in panels of three to hear evidence in protest hearings from both Milam AD and property owners and to render evidence-based decisions.
Service on the ARB would begin in January 2025.
Applications from Milam County citizens interested in ARB service must be submitted by the applicant directly to the Milam AD Taxpayer Liaison Officer (Charla Sowders) to be considered.
Members will be required to serve at the Milam AD office.
The ARB is not part of the appraisal district. The ARB is an independent board that hears property owner protests. If selected to serve on the ARB, the member would not be an employee of Milam AD or qualify for benefits. ARB members are compensated per diem when conducting hearings and attending ARB meetings. Arb members are required to ARB meetings in addition to serving on panels for actual ARB hearings.
The Milam County ARB conducts hearings throughout the year. However, board service generally a full-time commitment during the peak hearing season, which runs from mid-May through October. The scheduling volume during this time period requires that members be available to serve all day during the week. ARB members are not always scheduled every day but must be available to serve if needed.
Candidates for the ARB must be current residents of Milam County, having resided in the county for at least two years: must be up to date on property tax payments for property in Texas or show the tax is being paid under an installment agreement: and must not have served all or part of the three previous terms as an ARB member. Persons who fall into any of the following categories are not eligible to serve:
1. An individual currently employed by the State Comptroller of Public Accounts, or who is a member of the governing body, an officer, or a full- or part-time employee of a county, city, school district, community college district, MUD, or any other entity supporecd by local property taxes. Former governing body members, or officers of a taxing unit served by Milam AD, are ineligible for service on the ARB for four full years from the date they ceased to serve in that capacity.
2. Anyone who personally, or whose spouse personally, has a contract with local government or an appraisal district. The same restriction applies if the person, or his or her spouse, owns a 10 percent or greater interest in a business which contracts with a local government or appraisal district.
3. Persons who have appeared before the ARB for compensation as a tax consultant, accountant, appraiser or representative of a property owner less than two years before the date the person is appointed.
4. A person who has served all or part of three previous terms as a board member or auxiliary board member on the ARB.
5. Any individual who has ever been employed by Milam AD or has ever served as a member of the district’s board of directors.
6. Persons who have served as a member of the governing body or officer of a taxing unit in Milam County until four years after resigning that position.
7. Applicants who are presently under indictment or have previously been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.
Applicants will be appointed by the local presiding District Judge. Current application forms are available on the main page of the Milam Appraisal District website at www.milamad.org under the “Organization”
and “Appraisal Review Board” Button and must be filled out and submitted to the Milam AD TLO by mail or email at csowders@milamad.org.