Maverick County’s Low and Middle Income Subdivisions Receive Higher Appraisal Value Percentage Increases than High Income Subdivisions
By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016
The high 2016 Ad Valorem Property Appraisals issued by the Maverick County Appraisal District has raised strong and vocal opposition from real property owners/taxpayers. The Eagle Pass Business Journal did an independent, random survey of 100 residential properties in Maverick County during 2009 through 2015. Since the 2016 Maverick County Appraisal District is currently hearing appeals of taxpayers objecting to the high appraisals, the 2016 figures are not yet available to the public. Thus, the survey covers a six year span from 2009-2015.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal survey of 100 homes in Maverick County includes 50 homes in Colonias (low and middle-class income areas) and 50 homes in subdivisions within the City of Eagle Pass (high income level areas). The survey analyzed the percentage of property appraisal rate increases of these residential properties over the six year period of 2009-2015. The survey reviewed 10 homes in each Colonia or subdivision randomly.
The survey found that the residential homes in Colonias had received a higher percentage overall of ad Valorem property appraisals than their wealthier counterparts in subdivisions within the City of Eagle Pass. One would think that the higher income level residential properties would have received a higher percentage increase rather than their low and middle class income level residential properties. With so many Maverick Countians living below the poverty level and low income level, this survey finding is very troubling because the higher property appraisal value increases may cause hard working Maverick Countians to lose their residential properties due to the increased ad Valorem taxes they will now have to pay as a result of higher appraisal value increases. To add insult to injury, local governmental entities usually increase their ad Valorem tax rates annually. Many low and middle-class taxpayers will be unable to afford their homes which have been in their families for many years. Too many migrants, unemployed, underemployed, disabled, retired, and senior citizens may be unable to afford the higher ad Valorem property taxes.
The first two streets that were studied and compared were Barrera Street in Seco Mines (a Colonia) outside the city limits of Eagle Pass compared to Point Loma Street in the Treasure Hills Subdivision within the city limits. These two streets share Veterans Boulevard with Barrera Street on the north side while Point Loma Street on the south side of Veterans Boulevard.
A random sampling of 10 homes on Point Loma Street in the Treasure Hills Subdivision during 2009 had a total appraised valuation of $ 1,168,340 combined while at the end of 2015 these 10 homes had increased by 11.42% to $1,297,750, a slight increase of $129,410 total during this six year period.
However, the 10 homes studied on Barrera Street had a total appraised combined valuation of $ 580,560 in 2009 while at the end of 2015 these 10 homes had increased by 66.87 % increase to $968,799 during this six year period.
Although the 10 homes studied on Point Loma Street had a greater combined total valuation than the 10 homes on Barrera Street, the appraised valuation increases on the Barrera Street homes had a significant higher rate increase percentage in appraised values from 2009-2015 than the Point Loma Street homes by 55.45%. Thus, the low and middle-class homes on Barrera Street in Seco Mines received a 55.45% higher appraisal values rate increases than their wealthier counterparts on Point Loma Street in Treasure Hills Subdivision during 2009-2015.
The next set of two streets studied were Las Quintas Boulevard in Las Quintas Subdivision (Colonia) outside the city limits of Eagle Pass compared to Carthage Avenue in Carthage Place Subdivision inside the city limits. These two streets share South Veterans Boulevard.
The 10 homes studied in Las Quintas Boulevard had a combined total appraised value of $461,410 in 2009 and they increased by 56.67% ($261,490) within the six year period to $722,900 in 2015.
The 10 homes studied on Carthage Avenue had a combined total appraised value of $637,570 in 2009 and they increased by 22.10% ($140,810) during the six year period to $ 778,380.
The 10 homes on Las Quintas Boulevard received a 34.57 % higher increase percentage in appraised valuations compared to the 10 homes on Carthage Avenue during the six year period.
The next two streets that were studied and compared were Eidson Road in the Loma Bonita Suddivision (Colonia) outside the city limits of Eagle Pass compared to Kiriaka Street which is in the Carthage Subdivision inside the city limits.
Both Eidson Road and Kiriaka Street have El Indio Highway in common.
The 10 homes studied on Eidson Road had a combined total appraised value of $555,069 in 2009 and they increased by 55.86% ($278,871) within the six year period to $833,940 in 2015.
The 10 homes studied on Kiriaka Street had a combined total appraised value of $641,180 in 2009 and they increased by 29.95% ($192,040) during the six year period to $833,220.
The 10 homes on Eidson Road received a 25.91% higher percentage increase in appraised valuations compared to the 10 homes from Kiriaka Street during the six year period.
The next streets that were studied were Ceylon Street within the city limits of Eagle Pass and Kifuri Road within the city limits, too.
The 10 homes studied on Ceylon Street had a combined total appraised value of $518,100 in 2009 and they increased by 24.03% ($99,480) within the six years period to $617,580 in 2015.
The 10 homes studied on Kifuri Road had a combined total appraised value of $ 559,190 in 2009 and they increased by 41.64% ($ 200,900 ) during the six year period to $ 719,090.
The 10 homes on Kifuri Road received a 17.61 % higher percentage increase in appraised valuations compared to the 10 homes from Ceylon Street, within the six year period.
The next two streets compared were Dalia Street in the Elm Creek Subdivision outside the city limits of Eagle Pass and Rio Road in the Riverview Park subdivision inside the city limits. Both subdivisions share Del Rio Boulevard or US Highway 277 North.
The 10 homes studied on Dalia Street had a combined total appraised value of $509,630 in 2009 and they increased by 66.06 % ($286,530) within the six year to $796,160 in 2015.
The 10 homes studied on Rio Road had a combined total appraised value of $ 1,434,360 in 2009 and they increased by 9.84 % ($ 141,080) during the six years to $ 1,575,544.
The 10 homes on Dalia Street received a 56.22 % higher percentage increase in appraised valuations compared to the 10 homes from Rio Road during the six year period.
Dalia Street is in the Elm Creek Subdivision and is one of the streets in Maverick County that is regularly floods from Elm Creek during times of heavy thunderstorms.
In summary, the five streets / 50 homes used in the study that were in a colonia type setting were appraised at a combined total of $2,665,859 in 2009 compared to $4,040,169 or a 51.5% increase ($1,374,310) in 2015.
In summary, the five streets / 50 homes used for the study from the upper-class or wealthier areas across the community were appraised at a combined value of $4,369,450 in 2009 compared to $5,102,134 or a 16.7% ($732,684) increase in appraised valuations in 2015.
In conclusion, the 50 homes studied in the low to middle-class colonia are type setting had a 34.8% higher appraisal valuation, percentage wise than the 50 homes in the high-income or wealthier subdivision areas studied.
The survey found that the citizens who are least able to pay or afford higher ad Valorem property taxes, the low and middle class income level, are received a higher percentage of appraise values compared to the citizens who are most able to pay or afford higher ad Valorem property taxes, the middle and upper class income level. These troubling findings question the fairness and legality of the State of Texas Appraisal valuation methods and system as well as the inconsistency of the Maverick County Appraisal District appraisals during the six year period of 2009-2015. One can only imagine what these numbers will look like once the 2016 appraisals are made public.
