As attention focuses on the recent presidential election, there’s an urgent issue at home that directly impacts our finances and property taxes not only in Tarrant County, but across the entire state. This isn’t just about politics; it’s about real effects on your wallet. Beneath the surface, a complex situation is unfolding at the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) and within local school districts, and we need to act to protect the progress we've made. The Hidden Battle Over Property Taxes Since 2022, we've seen significant progress in protecting taxpayer rights, thanks to new legislation that empowered taxpayers to elect representatives to the TAD Board of Directors. This shift happened because we collectively took a stand against practices that treated taxpayers unfairly as TAD acted without accountability. The new laws allow us to elect three taxpayer representatives, ensuring the board remains responsive to the community. However, recent election outcomes have brought new challenges. Governor Abbott recently emphasized his support for school choice, causing concern among public school advocates who worry this shift could reduce public school funding. Additionally, Northwest ISD faced a setback when its proposed tax rate increase (VATRE) failed in three counties. This defeat has heightened tensions between school districts and TAD as they try to secure funding for local education. The TAD Reappraisal Plan: A Source of Controversy Adding to the mix, TAD’s new reappraisal plan aims to reappraise properties every two years instead of annually. While this plan could stabilize property taxes for homeowners, school districts relying on increased property tax revenues are concerned it might limit their funding. This tension has sparked discussions among school districts about potential legal action against TAD, intensifying the debate. Why Gary Losada is the Right Choice for TAD’s Board of Directors With these complex issues at play, we need balanced, experienced leadership on the TAD Board. That’s why I’m endorsing Gary Losada for one of the five available board seats. Gary has a unique understanding of both taxpayer and school district concerns: Experience in Education: With a degree in Education from Stanford, Gary is deeply committed to public education. He values the importance of strong school funding while advocating for taxpayer fairness. Proven Leadership: Gary has already made a difference on the TAD board by eliminating inefficiencies and holding individuals accountable for questionable practices, leading to positive changes. Balanced Approach: Gary understands that a fair tax system benefits both taxpayers and schools. His ability to bridge the gap between these two perspectives makes him an ideal candidate to keep TAD moving in the right direction. Don't take it from me, read what Gary himself has to say. Here's a letter Gary wrote detailing some accomplishemnt and his vision for the future. How You Can Help The power to vote for TAD board members lies with local school board trustees, city council members, and county commissioners. To protect our progress, we need these voting members to hear from the community. Here’s how you can help:1. Contact Your Representatives: Email your local school board trustees and city council members. Let them know why you support Gary Losada for TAD’s Board of Directors.2. Share Gary’s Vision: Emphasize Gary’s commitment to balanced, fair property tax policies that protect both homeowners and school districts. Gary Losada’s experience and dedication make him the leader Tarrant County needs on the TAD Board of Directors. Your voice is crucial in ensuring fair property tax practices that benefit everyone. Let’s make sure our elected officials understand the importance of having Gary on the board.   Here's a video I made covering how this affects everybody     Here's my endorsement video for Gary

Early Voting: Monday, April 22, 2024 - Tuesday, April 30, 2024  | Election Day May 4, 2024 Background: Turmoil and Reform For the first time ever, voters in each of the largest counties across the state will elect three board members to oversee the agency charged with appraising property for tax purposes. The election on May 4, 2024, comes amid a tumultuous time for the Tarrant Appraisal District Board of Directors (BOD), which has been mired in a series of scandals. The fallout from public outcry last year resulted in departures of several top TAD leaders, including the board chairwoman, the chief appraiser, top IT executives, and the directors of residential and commercial departments. The final boot was given to the Tarrant tax assessor who recently lost the primary election. You can find your voting location here.  Legislative Response: SB 2 and Voter Empowerment State lawmakers took notice of the upheaval in Tarrant County and agreed to give voters the opportunity to choose who represents them on the board, which had only been appointed by the county, cities, school districts, and other local taxing entities. Senate Bill 2 requires counties with a population over 75,000 to have their boards of directors increased by three members, who will be elected by voters to staggered four-year terms. The change expanded the Tarrant County Board of Directors to nine voting members - four appointed, three publicly elected - and granted voting privileges to the tax assessor starting July 1, 2024. The three new positions are labeled At-Large Place 1, At-Large Place 2, and At-Large Place 3 on the countywide ballot. New Responsibilities: Shifting Powers and Accountability While the board of directors don’t make direct decisions regarding property values, they have the authority to choose who does. The board has a new responsibility of hiring all of the protest hearing panelists - who do have the power to change property values. Until now, the board’s main role had been to hire the county’s chief appraiser and set the appraisal district’s budget. The three newly elected positions will be like all other sitting board members, except they’ll have an extra special power when it comes to hiring panelists for the protest hearing. A candidate must receive approval from at least two of the three “at-large” directors when the total board votes. These panelists, who are formally called members the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), had been appointed to the position by an administrative law judge. Lawmakers hope the SB 2 legislation will address some of the loudest complaints about the tax protest system. Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare’s office was charged with approving candidates for the ballot. Eligibility requirements included: Must be a county resident for a least two years Must not be a representative of a tax entity or appraisal district The state left it to the appraisal districts to pay for the new election as an unfunded mandate, which was estimated to cost $300,000 in Tarrant County, said TAD board Chairman Vince Puente Sr. Meet the Candidates Competing for Tarrant County's Appraisal Board Place 1 Eric MorrisElectericmorris.com Sayeda Syedfacebook.com/Sayeda4TAD Trae Fowler fowlerfortad.com facebook.com/FowlerForTAD Place 2 Callie RigneyVoteCallieRigney.com Eric B. Crilefacebook.com/CrileforTAD Place 3 Chuck Kelleyfacebook.com/Chuck4TAD Matt BryantElectMattBryant.com Lee HendersonLeeHenderson.org

Here is a full blog article I wrote that answers a lot of questions about the Tarrant Tax Assessor Collector Election Wendy Burgess. I have worked on issues involving Wendy Burgess, but I have not worked with the other candidate in this primary elections, Rick Barnes. My comments are limited to what I have witnessed first hand.

Please, whatever you do, don't vote for Wendy Burgess. She has cost me dearly. Her primary responsibility is to represent the interest of the people so that if our tax system runs amuck, we can have a representative stand up for us. On this, she failed. Here’s what happened The government attacked me in an attempt to prevent me from helping you. I asked the TAD board dozens of times for help. She was the ONLY person on the TAD board elected to represent the citizens and at every turn, she defended the bad guys. This video is just the tip of the iceberg. When the government attacks its citizens and the person elected to defend us turns her back, why should we vote her back in office? But Chandler, tax bills were sent out. Shouldn’t she get credit for that? No. She’s not putting stamps on envelopes and staying up late to make sure all your tax bills are mailed out. Our government would not allow 1 politician to screw up sending out tax bills. Tax bills will be delivered regardless of who is in office. The staff takes care of this and they deserve all the credit. When the politician gets too involved they screw everything up by using our tax bills as a campaign tool like this. Why is the tax assessor an elected position? Good question. She doesn’t set the tax rate. She doesn’t determine the tax value of your house. The tax assessor doesn’t play any role whatsoever in increasing or decreasing your taxes. It is largely an administrative role. The office prints and mails your bill. It's an elected position because her #1 job is to make sure our tax system is implemented with fairness and consideration for the taxpayers she represents. It's an elected position so when the government turns on it's citizens, we can hold someone to account. The government turned on its citizens and she went right along with them.  But she doesn’t vote on the TAD board. You’re right… for now. However, new laws would make the Tax Assessor-Collector a voting member in July. Up to this point, her only job was to be the voice of the people, and she failed. She can, however, make motions. The only time I remember her making a motion was when she went against the staff’s recommended vendor (who was a fraction of the cost) in an attempt to “hook up” one of her biggest political donors with a government contract. Thankfully the motion didn’t pass, but it was very fishy. Why do politicians care about this office so much? Bottom line - name recognition. Tax Assessor is the perfect springboard into a higher office. Politicians rely on name recognition more than anything else to get elected. When you write your tax bill out to “Wendy Burgess,” it becomes very difficult to forget her name. Burgess understands this better than anyone… A ton of our tax bills got screwed up when she wasted money by using our tax bills as a campaign tool. Please don’t vote for her. 4 years is a long time. Voting locations for Tarrant Tax Assessor Collector Election: Early voting Feb 20-March 1. Election day March 5.

The Keller City Council heard your voices and voted unanimously to recall the TAD Chairwoman for a long history of questionable decisions (scroll below the video for a list).  Now, the Tarrant County Judge and Commissioner's Court (TCCC) is responding to your outcry. Credit to TCCC for putting the item on their agenda.  Now, please join me in asking TCCC to finalize the recall and fill the seat with the runner-up from the last TAD board election. Scroll below the video for 2 Options on how you can let your voice be heard. In this video I give inside scoop and details about the dirty political games: Option 1 Attend Tomorrow's Meeting: When: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - 10:00 AM Where: Commissioners Courtroom, Tarrant County Administration Building, 100 East Weatherford Street, 5th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76196   Option 2 Send Emails (takes 2 min): Cut and paste if you're short on time, or customize your emails if you have a few extra moments:   To:  Rcbrooks@tarrantcountytx.gov; commissionerprecinct2@tarrantcounty.com; lmaldonado@tarrantcounty.com; commissionerpct4admin@tarrantcounty.com; edrandolph@tarrantcountytx.gov; gfickes@tarrantcounty.com; commissioner3@tarrantcountytx.gov; countyjudge@tarrantcountytx.gov   Subject line: Please recall TAD Chairperson   Dear Judge & Commissioners, Please vote to recall the TAD Chairperson. Please fill the seat with the runner-up from the last TAD board election. Thank you, [your name] [Optional: if comfortable, put your address] Tarrant County Taxpayer   In case you want to personalize your emails, here are more details: Commissioner Roy Brooks: Rcbrooks@tarrantcountytx.gov Commissioner Alissa Simmons: commissionerprecinct2@tarrantcounty.com; lmaldonado@tarrantcounty.com Commissioner Manny Ramirez: commissionerpct4admin@tarrantcounty.com; edrandolph@tarrantcountytx.gov Commissioner Gary Fickes: gfickes@tarrantcounty.com; commissioner3@tarrantcountytx.gov County Judge Tim O'hare: countyjudge@tarrantcountytx.gov    List of Questionable Decisions that Lead to the TAD Chairwoman Recall In order to have a productive appraisal district, we need to have a functioning board of directors with a chairperson who addresses problems head-on instead of ignoring them and hoping they go away. Here is a list of examples of how the chairwoman has mishandled serious issues during her tenure: The Chairwoman defended paying a TAD attorney over $32,000 per month [as reported here about this board meeting 2:26:00] The Chairwoman was given the responsibility of heading a subcommittee that would review Board Policy and handle matters concerning Boardroom audio. However, she only held one telephone meeting during which she proposed buying new equipment and reducing the time allocated for public comments from 5 to 3 minutes. She did not take any steps to address Board Policy. This behavior suggests that she is hesitant to listen to public input. At the Nov. 11, 2022, board meeting, TAD board member Rich Deotte (good guy) revealed that TAD was attempting to keep an investigative report from becoming public. He said that the report revealed criminal violations were committed by TAD personnel and that the public deserved to know about the details. The chairwoman did not want to discuss whether or not the report should be released. [See video here] In the same November board meeting, the Chairwoman admitted to breaking TAD board policy by changing the agenda behind closed doors to avoid discussing issues. [See the video & transcript here] The Chairwoman wanted to approve a large legal firm’s contract in excess of $1 million, while the TAD staff recommended another firm for $300,000, as [reported here] The Chairwoman voted against authorizing an outside audit of TAD and its software after then-state Senator Jane Nelson formally requested the board to investigate why the number of protests had drastically spiked at TAD. [See the article here]. The Chairwoman defended errors made by the chief appraiser in his handling of the situation where a TAD employee was caught filming up the skirt of a female tax agent. [See article here] The Chairwoman avoided getting additional information when notified at the May 13th board meeting and again at the June 10th board meeting that a top-level TAD executive made fraudulent TDLR complaints in TAD's name. Getting additional info may have avoided months of trouble and bad PR. [See this video of the June 10 board meeting here] On June 30, 2022, the Chairwoman presided over a public TAD board meeting containing open meetings act violations. The agenda was revised intentionally to delay the public comments portion of the meeting while TAD locked out over 300 people standing outside in near triple-digit heat for several hours failing to allow people to use the restroom or make accommodations for the handicapped and the elderly [See the article and video here] The Chairwoman initially agreed the chief appraiser would investigate himself regarding the handling of the TDLR complaints. After public pressure, the TAD board hired its own attorney to investigate. [See article here] In August 2022, the Chairwoman did not initially include the TDLR complaint on the board’s agenda, as promised, until another public outcry. [See article here] After receiving notice that the TDLR investigation concluded, stating there was no evidence of a violation, no attempt was made to state how the merits of the complaint were wrong. [See article here] Some CAD board members will justify their inaction by saying that the tax code limits their authority. Section 6.05(h) of the tax code expands the board's authority by enabling the board to mandate board approval for virtually any action. If Keller votes to recall, then TAD will escalate the issue to include additional tax entities (including the Commissioners Court) for a final vote.

For information on how to support Chandler, scroll down to the bottom of this page. My hope is that the TAD board meeting this Friday (11-11-2022) will be uneventful. However, I may need some support in case the goons attack again.  Attack 1 - the goons Public speaker card 1 Public speaker card 2 Attack 2 - the tax consultants that don't like me Tracy Stanley read from this document publically at the TAD meeting [pdf] Jamison O'Day read from this document publically at the TAD meeting [pdf] [Video] - Chandler confronts his accusers at the public meeting Attack 3 - the bogus TREC complaint How you can help 1) Spread the word on facebook, nextdoor.com, and the news media: investigates@wfaa.com, kdfw@foxtv.com, newstips@nbcdfw.com, news@ktvt.com, comments@wbap.com, comments@klif.com 2) Donate to help Chandler defend against attacks:  We have 3 options: Option 1) Scroll down to use our payment processor Option 2) Use this Paypal link Option 3) Mail checks to: Chandler Crouch, 9500 Ray White Rd, 2nd Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76244   Support Chandler Crouch  

About the Attack: News Articles: 1) Property Tax Fighter Targeted by Beaurocrat  2) A Culture of Deception Video: TAD Board Meeting where they try to silence Chandler - this will make your blood boil Complaints: Actual TDLR complaints with Crouch's rebuttal Here's what you can do: 1. Share on Facebook, Nextdoor.com, in groups, with neighbors 2. Contact the media  ABC interviewed me, WFAA is emailing/texting, and Jess Hardin at Star-Telegram wrote this incredible article What we are doing wouldn’t be possible without the media that have brought this situation out of the shadows and into the light. I am very grateful to these folks: 03 July 2022 | FW Weekly | Edward Brown | Attempts by one TAD leader to intimidate a local Realtor are being met with a unified front calling for accountability. 01 July 2022 | WBAP | Hundreds of Homeowners Show Support at Tarrant County Appraisal Meeting for Embattled Fort Worth Realtor Under Investigation 30 June 2022 | NBC DFW Channel 5 | Lili Zheng | Hundreds Rally at Tarrant Appraisal Meeting for Realtor Under Investigation 30 June 2022 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Jess Hardin | Hundreds show support for Realtor who helps Fort Worth area homeowners protest appraisals 30 June 2022 |WFAA Channel 8 | Ariel Plasencia | Tarrant Appraisal District says employee did not have authority to file complaint against realtor to state licensing department 30 June 2022 | CBS News DFW | Nick Starling | Residents say complaints against Tarrant County realtor are 'totally ridiculous and bogus' 30 June 2022 | Fox 4 KDFW | Dionne Anglin | Tarrant Co. appraisal board employee files complaints against realtor helping people protest appraisals 30 June 2022 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board | Realtor helps homeowners fight sky-high Tarrant property values. Was he a target for it? 30 June 2022 | 1080 KRLD | News Radio by 1080 KRLD | Tarrant County property tax consultant being investigated 29 June 2022 | CBS News DFW | J.D. Miles | North Texas realtor helps homeowners fight property tax appraisals - for free 29 June 2022 | WFAA Channel 8 | Paul Wedding | Property tax officials complained about a realtor protesting appraisals. Now they could be fired. 29 June 2022 | NBC DFW Channel 5 | Lili Zheng | Tarrant Appraisal District to Address Complaints Targeting Property Tax Consultant 29 June 2022 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Jess Hardin | He helps Fort Worth homeowners protest their appraisals. Now he’s under investigation 20 June 2022 | Fort Worth Report | Sandra Sadek | Tarrant Appraisal District to launch investigation into whether director used official position to submit a complaint against an individual 16 June 2022 | Texas Scorecard | Robert Montoya | Property Tax Fighter Targeted by Bureaucrat 16 June 2022 | FW Weekly | New allegations that a Tarrant Appraisal District staffer used county resources to intimidate a local Realtor raise questions about why top TAD leaders chose to ignore the problem. The news was also reposted on these following websites: 01 July 2022 | Spot On Texas | Hundreds Rally at Tarrant Appraisal Meeting For DFW Realtor Under Investigation 01 July 2022 | Head Topics | Hundreds Rally at Tarrant Appraisal Meeting For DFW Realtor Under Investigation 01 July 2022 | The Real Deal | Homeowners Show Up In Droves to Support Crusading Property Tax Consultant 29 June 2022 | Reported Crime | Tarrant Appraisal District Launches Complaint at Property Tax Expert Chandler's Thoughts As I have contemplated all this, it has become clear to me that God has a bigger purpose for me in this situation. I just know that so many people have been ignored or trampled on by people in positions of power. Most people have no choice but to walk away defeated. Not me... I believe I'm in this situation to serve a purpose.  I'm going to stand up and fight this so nobody else that comes after me has to endure the same thing. With your help, we will make our voice heard! They need to know that they can't just do this to whoever they want. Let's exercise that 1st Amendment like we're training for the Olympics!  

This is a link to the original article written on Fort Worth Weekly. Skyrocketing property valuations, culture of deception, and baseless allegations. What's the worst that could happen? On June 10, 2022, I stood up early in the meeting to address the five-member board of the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD). I had come to inform the board that I would not allow any further attacks by Randy Armstrong, TAD's director of home valuation. It is clear as day that Armstrong, and by extension, TAD do not appear to be my supporters. Mainly because I devote most of my spare time to assisting residents to challenge their exorbitant property values. This pushed Armstrong to file a complaint against me. During the meeting, I stated that there is an item on the agenda regarding the letter that my attorney addressed to the board. There haven't been many information regarding what's going on up until now. Someone filed complaints against my licensure as a property tax consultant in October 2021. I initially dismissed the complaint as unfounded. But for the board, this becomes significant because of who filed the complaint and how Jeff Law, the chief appraiser, strongly supports it. I went on to say that an investigator with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) purportedly indicated that the complaints were made by TAD, not a TAD employee. Armstrong's use of TAD letterhead and the personal knowledge revealed in his accusations indicate that he is allegedly utilizing TAD resources. Despite the fact that the topic was just discussed and not voted on, the board members decided that Law should look into it, in spite of having been aware of the allegations since November and has done no action to curb Armstrong's alleged misbehavior. Law, who usually deals with personnel issues, agreed to oversee the probe. However, that is a conflict of interest according to Gary Losada, a former TAD member. For Losada, Law should not be allowed to probe his own activities due to a history of withholding embarrassing facts from the board, something we've heard before in the form of a whistleblower complaint. We revealed details from a series of anonymous letters purportedly written by one or more TAD employees a year ago ("Shining a Light on TAD," June 2021). Law was singled out by the whistleblower, who claimed that the top appraiser used his position to conceal software flaws that resulted in incorrect property tax estimates over the years. It pains me to know that TAD's board of directors declined to hold Law accountable for failing to handle significant claims like mine. TAD's leadership may have set the appraisal district on a road that would eventually force the board of directors to evaluate if maintaining Law as chief appraiser is worth the financial risk.

This is a link to the original article written on Texas Scorecard by Robert Montoya. Dropping truth bombs and getting to the bottom of the truth: Who filed a case against me and how deep are the layers of this complaint? We all cannot deny that our property tax system is broken. This have made me realize my calling to serve the community. In 2017, we served 322 homeowners. In 2021, we have helped more than 21,000. This is more than $10 million worth of services for free. We are exerting so much effort to make the people's voices be heard and fix our taxing system. So, I think it is fair to say that these accusations are completely baseless.On November 1, 2021, I received a letter from the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) about a complaint against me. This is crazy. The letter contained three complaints; they alleged that last year, I had “intentionally misled members of the Tarrant Appraisal Review Board” (TARB) when I protested values assigned to properties by TAD. In one case, it alleged that I also misled “Tarrant County taxpayers” and is making a “mockery of the current tax system.” Nowhere in the document did it identify who specifically filed these complaints. Initially, records obtained by Texas Scorecard show Armstrong used TAD's name and address in mailings. However, the assigned TDLR investigator admitted that Randall "Randy" Armstrong, the director of residential appraisal at TAD, had filed the complaint.  He also used taxpayer-funded tools to interact with TDLR, such as his TAD email address. He signed his emails in such a way that it appeared he was working on behalf of TAD in an official role. It is also concerning to know that if he received the materials while operating in his capacity as a district employee and not through a public information act request, there is a significant conflict. TAD was served with an open documents request by Texas Scorecard, demanding any requests from Armstrong to the district for the properties named in his complaints that occurred in 2020 and 2021. TAD responded, "The district has no records responsive to your PIA request." Armstrong's initial complaint was submitted online with TDLR on October 5, 2021, at 3:19 p.m., according to records. Armstrong worked eight hours that day, according to TAD records, and entered the building at 7:54 a.m. With a timestamp of 3:06 p.m. on October 19, 2021, the second complaint was submitted. He worked 6.5 hours that day, with 1.5 hours given to sick leave to assist his mother, according to TAD records. He initially arrived on TAD property at 9:31 a.m., according to records. The date the third complaint was filed is unknown based on TDLR documents. With a timestamp of 11:36 a.m. on December 22, 2021, the fourth and last complaint was submitted. Armstrong worked eight hours that day, according to TAD records, and initially entered TAD at 7:53 am. On June 10, 2022, I confronted the TAD board and asked the following: Was it the Tarrant Appraisal District? Was it Randy Armstrong? How much does Jeff Law support this complaint? I told them that if I’m guilty, there are an army of people here that are guilty as well, and there’s a big problem that somebody didn’t speak up until this complaint was filed. If I’m innocent, what is the Tarrant Appraisal District okay with? Are they okay with the fact that somebody filed that complaint knowingly? Did Mr. Law know that this complaint was filed? Matthew Tepper, the board's attorney replied that TAD did not file it and nobody who had the authority of the appraisal district to file the complaint did it. Law stated that he has not seen the complaints and that is the first time he has seen a portion of the complaints. He later altered his mind, claiming that it wasn't until open records requests were submitted that he discovered the TAD address had been used on TDLR envelopes, and that Armstrong had signed them "Director of Residential Appraisal." He added that Armstrong had filed the complaint on his own and he did not direct Armstrong to submit a complaint against you. It is clear that TAD's lack of action on this implicates them. The board resolved to discuss the topic in closed session, which will be held in two months. I sincerely hope that we can all get to the bottom of this so we can all unite to serve the community.