The embattled chief appraiser of the Tarrant County Appraisal District departs from the agency on Wednesday (Sept. 6), ending a 15-year tenure that was often rocky.
Jeff Law tendered his resignation to TAD’s board of directors on Sept. 1. His resignation followed a unanimous vote of “no confidence” by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court on Aug. 29. Commissioners recommended that the TAD directors fire him.
The TAD board narrowly handed Law a vote of confidence earlier last month, when it voted 3-2 to support him.
“In recent months I have been approached from both private and public sector organizations regarding different employment possibilities,” Law stated in his letter of resignation. “While I appreciate the vote of confidence I received from the board at its last meeting, I have decided to pursue one of those opportunities.”
Every county has an appraisal district that has the responsibility of determining values for residential and commercial property. But unlike other county appraisal districts, TAD has been long plagued with technology and website problems.
The introduction of a new website earlier this year was the latest technology blunder that led to widespread complaints from taxpayers unable to protest their proposed tax valuations through an online portal that had been available in the past for taxpayers to reach a settlement without an in-person hearing.
Cal Wood, TAD’s director of information, was fired last month following an investigation of a whistleblower recording about the website protest problems. In the recording, Wood could be heard telling staffers that it was “okay with creating a false narrative that distances the truth from the media.”
Publicity surrounding Wood’s comments led to a rebuke from the mayors of Keller, Southlake and Colleyville indicating that they would consider a resolution seeking a “vote of no confidence” against Law.
“Taxpayers have lost trust in the Tarrant Appraisal District and it is time for the TAD Board of Directors to appoint a new chief appraiser,” the letter stated. “The latest headline coming out of the Tarrant Appraisal District, where one of TAD’s top-level executive(s) suggests ‘creating a false narrative that distances the truth from the media’ is both outrageous and a breach of the public’s trust,” stated the letter posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
During the Commissioner Court meeting, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare stated that “our taxpayers in the county deserve unrivaled transparency, outstanding customer service and stability and consistency, none of which apply to our Tarrant Appraisal District.”
After Law resigned, O’Hare stated on X: “In what is long overdue, the Board can now begin the effort to restore the public’s trust in the organization.”
“It is imperative they hire someone who understands the magnitude of the role, the importance of repairing the damage done, and the necessity of complete transparency,” O’Hare said. “The new chief appraiser must be pro-taxpayer.”