| Budget and Financing |
| The county appraisal district budget is prepared by the chief appraiser and must be approved by the board of directors. The county appraisal district funds may only be disbursed by the chairman and secretary of the board or by the chief appraiser if authorized by the board. The fiscal year of an appraisal district is the calendar year unless three-fourths of the taxing units adopt a different fiscal year.
Every year, the chief appraiser prepares a budget for the county appraisal district's operations for the following tax year. Copies are submitted to the board of directors and to each of the taxing units before June 15th. The county appraisal district board of directors holds a public hearing to consider the budget. The board is required to complete its hearings, make amendments to the proposed budget, and to approve a budget before September 15th.
If the county appraisal district taxing units entitled to vote on the appointment of board members disapprove of the budget within 30 days after its adoption, the budget does not take effect. The board is then required to adopt a new budget within 30 days from the disapproval. The board may amend the approved budget at any time, but the secretary of the board must deliver a written copy of a proposed amendment to each taxing unit at least 30 days before the date the board acts on it. |
Changes to Operating Cost Allocation |
| The board of directors of a county appraisal district may adopt a different method of allocating the appraisal district operating cost after June 15 and before August 15. A participating taxing unit may oppose the different method by filing it's opposition with the board of directors before September 1. If a board proposal is rejected, the board notifies each taxing unit participating in the appraisal district before September 15. |
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A participating taxing unit may adopt a different method of allocating the county appraisal district operating costs if three-fourths of the taxing units that are entitled to vote on the appointment of board members adopt the other method. However, a change under this subsection is not valid if it requires any taxing unit to pay a greater proportion of the appraisal district costs than the unit would pay uner Section 6.06 without the consent of that unit. |
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| Publication of the Budget |
| A notice ot the public hearing and board of directors meeting for the appraisal district budget is given at least 10 days before the date of the hearing. The chief appraiser gives notice by publishing the notice in a general circulation newspaper in the county where the appraisal district is established. The notice must state the time, date, and place of the public hearing and it must also publish a summary of the proposed budget. A copy of the proposed budget is availbale for public inspection in each of the appraisal district taxing unit offices. |
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| Financial Audit |
| The board of directors of an appraisal district is required to produce an audit prepared by an independent certified public accountant at least once each year. The report of the audit is a public record. A copy of the report is delivered to each taxing unit eligible to vote on the appointment of appraisal district directors. Copies are also available at the appraisal district office. |
| Related Texas Property Tax Code: |
| Sec 6.06 Appraisal District Budget and Financing |
| Sec 6.061 Changes in Method of Financing |
| Sec 6.062 Publication of Budget |
| Sec 6.062 Financial Audit |
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