Tarrant Appraisal District set to appoint new chief, release investigation results

The Tarrant County Appraisal District Board of Directors is expected to name a chief appraiser and release findings from an investigation into a potential security breach of its computer system when it meets Thursday.

Board chairman Tony Pompa said there is one finalist to replace Jeff Law, who resigned in September after problems with TAD’s website and news that a senior manager suggested that TAD lie to the media about the web issues.

“I think this individual exudes trustworthiness, honesty and is very straightforward. I think those are qualities that will regain the trust of taxing entities and the public,” Pompa said.

The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the TAD office at 2500 Handley Ederville Road.

William Durham has been the interim appraiser since Law’s resignation.

The hiring comes just before three new members join the board Jan. 1. Gary Losada, Fort Worth city council member Alan Blaylock and Gloria Peña are joining the board, according to County Judge Tim O’Hare, who posted the news on X. The newcomers will replace Pompa, Jungus Jordan and J.R. Martinez.

Pompa defended the likely hire of a chief appraiser before the new board takes over. He said Durham has been in the role longer than he wanted to be.

Keller mayor Armin Mizani, who joined the Southlake and Colleyville mayors in demanding a change in leadership before Law’s resignation, expects the new leader to bring accountability and transparency to the board.

“My hope is, and I’m hopeful that with this new board, they’ll really change the culture and because really, that’s what it was, it was a leadership problem,” he said. “And that’s why we, as a city, as a taxing entity, we realized that there was a problem and it required a change at the top to really change the culture.”

In August the Star-Telegram obtained a recording of a meeting during which TAD’s head of information systems said he supported creating a “false narrative” to media over the problems with the website. In April, just after value notices were sent out, property owners found the TAD website timing out and the online protest function missing.

The district hired Round Rock-based Apollo Information Systems to look into a possible security breach into the agency’s computer system.

The district said Dec. 13 that claims of a data breach are “unfounded and unsupported.” The district posted a statement to Instagram the same day Fort Worth real estate agent and tax consultant Chandler Crouch claimed in a video that the district server containing sensitive taxpayer information had been exposed on the internet.

The appraisal district is responsible for appraising property values for tax purposes in Tarrant County.