Tax assessor presents certified property values
One can generally count on a measured opinion to be expressed by Judge Daryl Fowler at meetings of the DeWitt County Commissioner’s Court, especially when it comes to tax and budget issues.
But after a full-throated “aye” from all commissioners on July 28 to the “Resolution Opposing Efforts to Prohibit County Legislative Communications,” Precinct 2 Commissioner James Pilciek urged the press to tell the public what the Legislature is doing and tell them over and over how state government is attempting to limit local governments.
Fowler explained that a bill that would stop counties from spending taxpayer money for legislative consultants and lobbyists has already passed the state senate and is currently going to the house. Senator Lois Kolhorst voted for it.
He said if this bill had been in effect during the height of the Eagle Ford rush, DeWitt County roads would not have been repaired from in- creased oilfield traffic. The county was able to lobby the state, with a coalition of other mineral- rich counties, for restorative funds.
Fowler paraphrased the bill’s justification as representatives not seeing a need for a middleman between them and their counties.
But in an email to state representatives accompanying the resolution, Fowler said elected officials should not have to use their own resources to communicate with state officials.
The email also mentions current oilfield legislation that impacts mineral- rich counties, who were not able to weigh in on the deliberations.
“They don’t want to hear from us,” Fowler said.
Certified Property Values
Also at the meeting, DeWitt County Tax Assessor Ashley D. Mraz presented the county’s certified property appraisal values as is her constitutional duty each year.
The DeWitt County 2025 certified net taxable value is $9,895,868,234, which is down close to $100 million from last year. The amount of net taxable frozen property value is $399,762,353, which is up approximately $35 million from last year. Property under protest is $16,829,010, which is down approximately $20 million from last year.
Mraz also went through the county road property values, which lists the county precinct certified taxable values: Precincts 1 and 3 have the highest taxable values with $3.6 billion and $4.1 billion respectively. Precinct 2 has a $1.3 billion net taxable value this year and Precinct 4 has a $732 million net taxable value.
After receiving the certified appraisal roll, the commissioners scheduled a public hearing on Aug. 25 for the FY 2026 proposed budget and tax rate as well as the written archive plan for funding the preservation and restoration of the county clerk’s records.
Commissioners also received the Child Welfare Board budget requests as well as the total loss insurance settlement offer of $36,984.50 for a Sheriff’s Office 2024 Dodge Durango.
The next regular meeting of the DeWitt County Commissioners will be held Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse.
