A Brief History

Prior to 1979, each tax agency in Texas could have its own tax office if it desired. Accordingly, Texas had over 3,000 separate tax offices, each following its own standards and local practices. This resulted in untrained and unqualified personnel administering local tax offices under procedures and policies that were often influenced by local politics. Values were inaccurate and inequitable. Property owners were required to visit multiple tax offices in order to resolve any dispute that may have existed for a single property.

In 1979 the Texas Legislature, reacting to a chronic and growing problem of inequitable and unfair taxation, passed new legislation in Senate Bill 621 requiring that a centralized agency be established in each county for the purpose of appraising property for ad valorem tax purposes. These agencies, called “Central Appraisal Districts”, were organized to ensure that property taxation was fair and equitable as well as accurate. By law, a central appraisal district is to be managed by a professional staff having training and education prescribed by the State of Texas. Also a Tax Code was written that prescribed appraisal standards and appeal procedures and ensured regular review of each appraisal district by a state agency.

Today the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) appraises property in all of Dallas County. We cover an area of approximately 900 square miles and are responsible for almost 813,000 tax accounts.

Our agency is organized very similarly to a corporation. We have a Board of Directors that represents the 61 governments of Dallas County. The Board appoints an Executive Director/Chief Appraiser who is responsible for the daily operation of the district. Staffing of the district varies according to the workload, but is approximately 245 employees.

Each year our agency is audited, including both our financial operation and our appraisal effort. Independent auditors conduct the financial audit. The Comptroller’s Office, Property Tax Division, conducts a performance audit of our appraisal effort to determine the accuracy and equity of that effort.

In 2003, the DCAD installed MARS (Mass Appraisal Record System). This new system allows our appraisers to download data from our file servers into pen-based tablets that they take into the field. While on a property site, our appraisers can review data concerning the property as well as measure, inspect, and value the property. Our appraisers have access to much information from our computer files, including digital color photographs of each improved property, Geographic Information System (GIS) information, such as flood plains, city limits, school districts and other political boundaries, etc. All of this information is used to help the appraiser make as fair and equitable appraisal of your property as possible.

Over twenty years have passed since the DCAD was first organized by the State. Our agency has matured into one of the most advanced, cost efficient and accurate appraisal districts in the State of Texas.