Brittany Black Opens Community Forum Series with Property Tax Discussion

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

Property taxes, appraisal protests and school funding were the focus of a community town hall hosted this week by Texas House District 61 candidate Brittany Black.

The event, held at the John and Judy Gay Library in McKinney, was the first in a planned series of issue-focused discussions. Property taxes served as the opening topic, with Black joined by Collin Central Appraisal District board member Sumbel Zeb and Michael Webb, founder of The Andy App.

Black said rising property tax bills were one of the reasons she wanted to hold the discussion, pointing to concerns she hears from residents across House District 61. Speakers discussed appraisal protests, homeowner exemptions, property tax procedures and the role state funding decisions play in local budgets.

State Funding and Local Tax Burdens

Black spent much of her opening remarks discussing the relationship between state funding decisions and local property taxes. She argued that despite Collin County’s continued growth, many homeowners feel they are paying more while local schools continue facing financial pressures. She also criticized the state’s handling of school funding and recapture.

Later in the discussion, audience members questioned where additional tax revenue is going as property values continue to rise across North Texas. Zeb explained that property taxes are collected locally and distributed through the state’s funding system.

“The tax assessor collector for Collin County, he’s the one that collects the taxes,” Zeb said. “Then it goes to the state.”

Black argued local communities are not seeing enough of that money returned.

“We as taxpayers are sending money to the state, and it’s not coming back to us,” Black said. “They’re keeping it, and they’re using it for whatever agenda that they have in their budget.”

Understanding the Protest Process

A significant portion of the evening focused on the property tax protest process and the steps homeowners can take to challenge their appraisals.

Webb urged residents to protest their appraisal values annually, arguing that many Texans fail to use a process already available under state law.

“Every Texan should appeal their property taxes every single year,” Webb said. “Only about five to six percent of Texans religiously every single year protest because it’s hard.”

Webb said appraisal districts rely on comparable sales, listing prices and other available data when estimating property values. Because appraisers cannot inspect every home in detail, he said homeowners should document property conditions, needed repairs and other factors that could affect value.

Webb also encouraged residents facing hardships such as job loss, medical issues or other major life events to share that information during the protest process, noting that appraisal review boards can consider individual circumstances when hearing appeals.

Beyond protests, Webb stressed the importance of taxpayer education, particularly when it comes to exemptions and other programs that can help reduce tax burdens.

“The system isn’t broken because your house, a lot of times, is people’s number one asset, so as it rises in price, your net worth increases,” Webb said. “But unfortunately in Texas, so does your property tax.”

Taxpayer Education and Exemptions

Zeb focused much of her remarks on what she sees as a lack of public awareness about exemptions and the appraisal process.

She shared an example involving her own parents, who had qualified for the Over-65 exemption for years but never applied.

“My parents have been 65-plus for over 20 years, but they didn’t know about that exemption,” Zeb said. “I feel like that’s not fair.”

Zeb said many homeowners are unaware of available exemptions or unfamiliar with the appraisal protest process. She encouraged residents to learn about both and take advantage of them when appropriate.

“I insist that you should definitely protest,” Zeb said. “Why not?”

Zeb noted that even as a member of the Collin Central Appraisal District board, she recently went through the protest process herself after receiving a higher tax bill. She said one benefit of elected positions on appraisal district boards is the opportunity to better educate taxpayers about how the system works.

Brittany Said More Forums Planned

Black said the property tax town hall was intended to be the first in a series of discussions on issues affecting local residents, with artificial intelligence among the topics planned for future events.

Closing the event, Black encouraged attendees to stay informed, contact their elected officials and remain engaged beyond election season.

“We want change. We want to try to make things better,” Black said. “Voting is the bare minimum.”