Candidates are not knocking the doors down to file in the first-ever election to fill three new seats on the McLennan Central Appraisal District board.
As of Friday, two candidates had filed for the at-large seats in the election, set for May 4.
They are David Schleicher, attorney and former Waco Independent School District board president; and Linda Hatchel, who has served on boards of groups such as Texas Commission on the Arts and Waco Symphony Association.
County Judge Scott Felton said he remains confident the list of choices will grow to at least three by the Feb. 16 filing deadline.
The election is mandatory under a constitutional amendment Texas voters passed in November. Proposition 4 included an $18 billion tax cut package and required counties with at least 75,000 residents to elect three members to their appraisal boards. Previously, only appointees filled the boards.
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Jim Halbert, MCAD interim chief appraiser, said the county’s elections office estimated the countywide election would cost $125,000, and the appraisal district would pay the largest percentage among all entities for which the county is holding elections that day. Typically, local schools and cities contract with the county to run their races in May, while the county has November elections.
Halbert said he was promised more exact figures by month’s end.
The McLennan Central Appraisal District board has five voting members appointed by the largest taxing entities in the county: Waco, McLennan County, Waco Independent School District, Midway Independent School District and La Vega Independent School District, Halbert said.
After the May 4 election, the board will be expanded to eight voting members.
Board members receive no pay, and those wanting to be elected to the board must pay a $400 filing fee, county officials said.
Halbert said the governing board hires the chief appraiser and sets the budget for the appraisal office, but it does not have a direct impact on individual appraisal disputes.
The appraisal review board, whose members are appointed by a district judge, considers protests filed by taxpayers displeased with their appraisals.
Felton said voters overwhelmingly approving Proposition 4 in November represented a backlash against rising property taxes.
“People wanted more oversight than they already have, though I think there was quite a bit of oversight already,” Felton said.
If the filing process fails to draw three candidates, existing board members would choose someone, said Halbert.
Applications are available at the MCAD office, 315 S. 26th St. Completed applications should be submitted to the office of County Judge Felton at the courthouse, 501 Washington Ave., Room 214.
“Consider that when we first moved into the building, in 2009, we had 7,900 protests. This year, we had 19,000,” said Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt. “Sometimes we have 400 people throughout the day, and if something goes wrong, we can have two or three hours of people waiting.”
