Tyler County News - Breakout

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Tyler County’s Chief Appraiser David Luther speaks during Monday evening’s workshop. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB

By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – “What we do is not a science. It’s a judgment, an opinion,” Tyler County’s Chief Appraiser David Luther told a crowd assembled in the District Courtroom at the Tyler County Courthouse on Monday evening.

Luther spoke before a courtroom full of county residents and the members of the Tyler County Commissioners Court on the posted topic of “How to Lower Your Taxes.” Luther said that although he was called to address the topic, it was one to which he does not “have an answer to that right off the bat.”

Luther’s presentation addressed the aspects of how appraisals are assessed on properties; the statutory role of property taxes; the aspect of depreciation and how the protest process works and the politics that play into the property tax system.

Luther pointed out in the beginning of his presentation that the countywide certified taxable values were $1.5 billion in 2022, while the preliminary values this year exceed $1.8 billion. Much of that increase, he noted, was due to mineral rights as well as oil and gas.

At the legislative level, a debate carries on as to how property tax relief should be delivered, with Gov. Greg Abbott having called special sessions to address the topic, among others, after the 88th legislature adjourned sine die.

One of the measures favored by the House, but rejected by the Senate, included an increase of the homestead exemption to $100K, as well as a 5% appraisal cap on all real property.

In the regular session, the legislature had set aside $17.6 billion for property tax relief, but ideological differences between the two chambers resulted in adjournment sans deal.

Abbott, in comments following the first special session, said that he supports the approach passed by the House, which would result in $12.3 billion spent on compression, where the state would buy down school districts’ property tax rates and foot the bill.

Luther addressed the machinations of property tax relief as a political football during legislative cycles; that although often talked about and campaigned on, has not been handled by the state’s governing body.

“Three men (Abbott, Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick) are holding every property owner at the cliff’s edge,” Luther said. “There needs to be an ‘Abraham, Abraham’ moment so they don’t sacrifice the future of hurting citizens.”

Part of the presentation broke down the basics of the state’s property tax system. Property taxes provide the bulk of funding for local governments to pay for services, and by statute, the process is meted out to local officials in determining property values, ensuring that the values are equal and uniform in setting and collecting the taxes. Luther said that one paradox in the state’s property tax system is what he refers to as “the great divide,” which is that the majority of taxpayers agree that the taxes are too high, but that also, the majority do not want a state income tax. Also, he noted, there is, by statute, no state property tax rate set by the state, nor are property taxes collected by the state.

Luther outlined what he and the appraisers working for the County Appraisal District do, including the determination of appraised values for all properties in the county and setting values at both market and appraised values.

Appraisers also measure houses, estimate values and use deed records to determine the taxable values of properties.

Luther also outlined several types of exemptions, including the homestead exemption; exemptions for religious organizations as well as those for over age 65.

One key factor of property tax protests Luther went over deals with depreciation, in which loss of value due to any cause is factored.

“If we have developed what we believe are accurate costs to rebuild or replace a home and we apply them to your property, then in theory and in practice…then we must apply sufficient depreciation,” Luther said, before demonstrating examples, such as structural disrepair and property values affected by outside forces.

When the floor was turned over for public comment, several citizens had signed up to speak on the topic. The first up was Warren resident Neil Alderman said that citizens should not have to worry about their properties being taken away due to excessive taxation.

“Change is never going to start at the steps of the White House…change is going to start at the county courthouse,” he said.

Alderman further addressed a need for clearer understanding as to where the appraisal increases are coming from and recommended that the appraisal district be done away with. “Someone’s got to be accountable. No one ever is,” he said.

Another Tyler County resident, Mike Godwin, asked for clarification on the tax statements about market value and the large difference between it and the appraised value. “What’s the big deal about even having the market value on there?” he asked. “We’re not in Houston, nor Dallas,” he said.

Melissa Riley, a Woodville resident, echoed some of Alderman’s sentiments about holding to account legislators on the issue, and encouraged county officials to “step up and go beat on doors” in Austin.

Luther urged residents to take advantage of the right to protest their appraisals. “It is important to exercise the right to protest,” he said. The deadline for protesting the 2023 appraisals is Thursday, June 15.

The Tyler County Appraisal District is located at 806 W. Bluff Street in Woodville and can be reached by phone at 409-283-3736 or via email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Alan Shivers Library and Museum administrative staff, pictured left-to-right: Kay Timme, Roschelle Springfield and Carolyn Williams, gave a presentation on the library and museum’s history and its resources available to Tyler County residents to the Rotary Club of Woodville last Wednesday. MOLLIE LASALLE | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle
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WOODVILLE – The Rotary Club of Woodville heard from the staff of the Allan Shivers Library and Museum at their meeting last Wednesday at the Pickett House.

ASLM Director Kay Timme began by giving a little history of the building’s origins. If you didn’t know, the museum began way back in 1881 as the R.A. Cruse home, a two-story Victorian mansion that originally was situated where the Woodville Inn is today. Former governor Allan Shivers purchased the home in 1962 and purchased the land and deeded it to the school district for the purpose of creating a library and museum. The museum’s objective was to illustrate and display Governor and Mrs. Shivers personal and public life; Shivers was governor from 1949-57.

In the 1950s the Tyler County Library was in different locations. It was on the third floor of the courthouse for a while and was also located in a portable building on the grounds of the hospital. When Governor Shivers deeded the land to the school, he stipulated that it was to be a joint effort between the school district, the city and the county. After he bought the Cruse home, he had it moved to its present location to be used as a museum and a library, however he soon realized the building wasn’t big enough for that purpose, so construction began in 1963 on the library side. The library opened in 1965, the complex was dedicated in 1966, and the buildings remained relatively unchanged until the early 2000’s. The courtyard was closed in and became the children’s reading room, the Bunch meeting room was opened in 2010, and the museum was updated and renovated in 2021-2022.

Allan Shivers Library and Museum is in the very capable hands of its leadership team which consists of: ASLM Director, Kay Timme, Assistant Director and Head Librarian Carolyn Williams and Museum Manager Roschelle Springfield. The complex has four part time library aides, and a part time maintenance man.

If you haven’t been to the library lately, come and check out the new look; the library was remodeled on the inside in January to reflect a more modern look, although some of the original chairs from the 1960s are still in house. Some of the services offered at ASLM are free WIFI, free public computers, over 25,000 books, 20,000 e-books, more than 2,000 movies, interactive play and learning areas, hotspots, yearly free events, meeting spaces, and author signings, to new a few. The volunteer group “Friends of the Library” recently re-formed last year and has been a big help. Timme said “we are very appreciative of all their efforts.”

She also said the “Shivers family is 100% on board with everything.  We are at a place now where we have their 100% support”.

ASLM received a generous grant last year which went towards installing an elevator on the museum side, and Springfield has spent the last year getting the museum up to date, with a lot of help from Timme and the library staff.

The complex held a grand re-opening in January to showcase all the hard work everyone has done to get it looking new again. The library is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can call the library to schedule a tour of the museum at 409-283-3709, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

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By Chris Edwards

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Hurricane season is officially among us as of today, and according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas, as well as the rest of the Gulf and East coasts will likely experience a “near-normal” hurricane season.

There are between 12 to 17 named storms predicted to form this season, according to forecasting, with one to four of them possible Category 3 hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30.

According to the NOAA, an average Atlantic hurricane season is one with 14 named storms, with three of them “stronger hurricanes.”

The state’s Health and Human Services Commission, in a news release last Thursday, reminded all healthcare facilities, including long-term care facilities, and childcare operations to make sure their emergency preparedness plans are updated and in place for the hurricane season.

Stephen Pahl, the deputy executive commissioner with HHSC, said “Texas weather can be very unpredictable.”

On Tuesday, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham held a press conference and reminded Texans to prepare; to take measure to protect families and homes.

“Because of the GLO’s disaster recovery programs, Texas is better prepared for natural disasters like hurricanes, floods and wildfires,” Buckingham said.

In another news release from the Texas Electricity Ratings blog, despite predictions citing “near average activity” or “slightly below average activity,” predictions are subject to uncertainties. NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said during a news conference last week that “it only takes one storm to devastate a community.” Spinrad’s warning is something that Texans, unfortunately, know all too well, throughout the past two decades, with catastrophic hurricanes Rita; Ike and Harvey.

The site notes how the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) “plays a huge role in how tropical storms form by affecting the temperature of large areas of the mid-Pacific Ocean at the equator.”

There are three phases of ENSO: La Nina; El Nino and ENSO Neutral. According to the NOAA, conditions that both suppress and encourage hurricane development are at play. NOAA expects an El Nino pattern to develop, which has been absent in recent years. El Nino weather has historically dampened hurricane activity in the Atlantic. Last year saw La Nina conditions, in which colder than normal water moves into the mid-Pacific Ocean, thus bringing cold winter weather to the northern United States, but mild, drier weather to Texas.

According to NOAA, other factors in the Atlantic Ocean such as warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures can fuel storm development.

The normal peak times for tropical storms are in August and September, which means, if El Nino emerges by August, it could reduce the possibility of any storms hitting the Gulf of Mexico at that time.