Tarrant Appraisal District names interim leader after longtime chief’s resignation
The Tarrant Appraisal District has a new interim leader after Chief Appraiser Jeff Law resigned last week.
The board of directors on Monday unanimously selected William Durham, TAD’s director of commercial appraisals, to fill the role until a permanent chief appraiser is hired
“We may not be perfect here at all times. But there should never be a moment where you question that you are treated respectfully,” Durham said.
The board aims to sign a contract with a firm to select a permanent chief appraiser by mid-October.
Durham became head of commercial appraisals when Randy Armstrong retired in April.
Law resigned amid calls for his termination that reached a fever pitch after a series of scandals at the agency. He is now the chief appraiser for Hood Central Appraisal District. Law was the head of Hood County appraisal district for 10 years before his 15-year tenure as TAD’s chief appraiser.
Law’s resignation came three days after the Tarrant County commissioners took a vote of no confidence in his leadership. At least three mayors had also called for Law’s termination after the Star-Telegram exposed comments made by an agency senior IT manager suggesting TAD lie to the media about its ongoing website problems.
That manager, Cal Wood, was fired Aug. 25, with TAD saying his comments didn’t reflect the agency’s values.
Law has insisted he was not pushed out.
“Some of the folks up there (in Tarrant County) have spun it into he resigned because of all the pressure that was going on and that’s not true,” Law told the Hood County News. “The time frame in which I received a valid offer from the HCAD it just so happened to fall in that particular time frame.”
While TAD’s leadership shakeup continues, the public may also see new faces on the agency’s board of directors.
Each member of the five-person board is up for election this year.
Appraisal district board members are chosen by taxing entities, like cities, the county and school districts. Each is given votes based on a calculation that uses the amount of property taxes the entity imposes.
Taxing entities must nominate candidates by Oct. 15 and submit their votes before Dec. 15.
