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KENDALL APPRAISAL DISTRICT VALUES FALL BELOW STATE ASSIGNMENT

Schools in Kendall County are again faced with losing state funding because the locally appraised values of homes and businesses did not reach the minimum threshold of 95% of market value for the 2022 tax year. The ratio of appraisal district value to market value is mandated by state law to be in the range of 95% – 105%.  The appraisal district and local schools learned of the School District Property Value Study (SDPVS) results in early February.  The SDPVS is performed by the Property Tax Assistance Division of the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts.

In Boerne Independent School District (ISD), market sales of homes and rural land, as well as 1-d-1 productivity values (Ag and Wildlife Management) were the chief contributors to the failure.  For homes on lots, the state comptroller set the total value at $7,226,115,807 compared to the local value, as measured by the appraisal district, of $6,381,382,869.  The local value represented an increase of over $1 billion from 2021.  The determination made by the Comptroller’s Office was that the increase would have had to be twice that in order for residential property to meet the confidence interval threshold.  The value for homes on acreage was set at $736,829,895 compared to the locally determined value of $664,178,467.  Additionally, the study indicated that the locally determined 1-d-1 productivity values of $7,215,939 were well below the state assigned values of $8,641,476.  Commercial property value was also behind state values by $472 million.  The overall values of all property in Boerne ISD were assigned by the state at $8,217,388,634 while local values totaled $7,169,488,687.

In Comfort ISD, state values also came in well above local values with homes on lots being set by the state at $586,738,466 compared to local values of $512,105,333.  Overall values in Comfort were assigned total values of $1,215,929,962 compared to local values of $1,026,163,438.

For affected schools, the results mean potential losses of state funding.  An appeal has been filed by attorneys for Boerne ISD, but the differences are so substantial that the appeals are unlikely to result in valid findings for the ISD and if so, this will mark the 4^th consecutive year of invalid findings by the Comptroller for Boerne ISD.  Each school district is allowed 2 years of grace period by the Comptroller.  Comfort ISD is in their 2^nd year of grace and did not file an appeal.

Deliberating the results, Jana Herrera, Chief Appraiser for Kendall Appraisal District stated, “It is sobering news for property owners in Kendall County.  This means that we will have to increase values again this year after large increases in the past two years.  District values were increased over $1 billion last year in Boerne ISD and $222 million in Comfort, but the market changes were unprecedented and the state has determined that we missed the mark.  We consistently analyze the local real estate market and have observed a deceleration in the volume of sales, but have not yet observed a decline in overall sale prices.  We are currently seeing an average increase of about 20% – 25% throughout the county from 2022.  This is down from a 43% average increase in 2022 from 2021″.

“There is some good news for local taxpayers,” said Herrera.  “Persons with a homestead exemption are limited to a 10% increase in taxable value from the prior year, and that will help to restrict major tax increases for homeowners.  Also, for homesteaded properties whose owners are 65 or over or disabled, their school taxes are capped so nothing will change for them on their school taxes, regardless of the value increases.”

Notices of Appraised Value will be delivered to taxpayers whose value has increased by at least $1,000 in late April and early May.  A protest form will be included as well as instructions on how to file a protest online.  “We are obligated to establish correct values so that the local schools will be fully funded,” stated Herrera.  “If taxpayers have evidence that we have made an error, we will gladly reconsider our values and make corrections as warranted.  Good evidence to bring to the district are recent purchase paperwork, recent fee appraisals, repair estimates or interior pictures showing problems areas that would impact sales prices.”

Preliminary values will not be determined until late April.

Currently Seeking Applicants to Serve on the Kendall County Appraisal Review Board

The Kendall Appraisal District is currently seeking qualified applicants to serve on the Appraisal Review Board.  For more information and an application, click here.

Welcome to the website of the Kendall Appraisal District. Within this site you will find general information about the district and the ad valorem property tax system in Texas, as well as information regarding specific properties within the district. The district strictly adheres to the Texas Property Tax Code to provide equality and accurate assessments for its constituents and tax base.

Our mission is to provide accurate property assessments to facilitate the local funding for our county, schools, cities, and other special districts that derive budgets and other operating expenses from local property values.

For information regarding your right as a taxpayer, refer to the LINKS page for the pamphlet on Rights, Remedies, and Responsibilities.