The Texas Comptroller’s office is reworking its property tax division.

Comptroller Susan Combs announced Monday that the division is being renamed the Property Tax Assistance Division. The unit is also being removed as an arm of the Local Government Assistance and Economic Analysis Division and will now be a stand-alone division of the Comptroller’s office. Combs says the move is intended to increase efficiency and transparency.

“The division’s new name and independent identity reflect a renewed emphasis on one of our key responsibilities — providing technical assistance to local school districts and county appraisal districts to help them comply with property tax laws and use property appraisal methods that produce accurate results,” Combs says. “Through more outreach and education, we will work with taxpayers who are sometimes confused by property taxes and appraisals set by the local districts. Taxpayers have the right for their concerns to be heard.”

Also in the works are revisions to the annual Property Value Study which measures the taxable value of property within school districts. That measure is then used to determine the amount of state funding distributed to Texas school districts. To the extent possible, additional adjusted property sales data will be used and fewer property appraisals will be conducted for the PVS. The shift will free up personnel to assist appraisal districts in their work. Combs has hired Comal County Tax Assessor-Collector Sherman Krause as the assistant director of the Property Tax Assistance Division. “As Comal County tax assessor and chairman of the Comal Appraisal District Board of Directors, Sherman Krause knows first-hand how challenging it can be for local governments to carry out complex property tax laws and state reporting requirements,” Combs says. “He has the knowledge and experience to help our Property Tax Assistance Division fulfill its responsibilities to inform and advise local governments and taxpayers about property tax issues.”

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