Friday, April 26, 2024
The Hood Central Appraisal District’s proposal for a new building was pulled Wednesday after the Gran-bury School Board and Gran-bury City Council refused support and questions arose about whether the HCAD had illegally purchased land.
Documents submitted by the HCAD to the Granbury Independent School District listed several property options “as required by the Tax Code 6.051b,” but deed records show that the HCAD purchased property at the Granbury Commerce Centre on Loop 567 more than a month ago.
The recording date of the transaction was Jan. 16. The amount paid for the land was not listed.
Chief Appraiser Greg Stewart and the HCAD board were hoping to build a 10,000-square-foot building to replace the HCAD’s aging and cramped headquarters on West Pearl Street.
Stewart told the HCN on Tuesday that the HCAD was hoping to build off Loop 567.
Tax Code 6.051(a) states that the board of directors of an appraisal district may purchase or lease real property and may construct improvements as necessary.
However, there may be a problem because of 6.051(b).
It states: “The acquisition or conveyance of real property or the construction or renovation of a building or other improvement by an appraisal district must be approved by the governing bodies of three-fourths of the taxing units entitled to vote on the appointment of board members.”
The HCAD serves 11 taxing entities. None appear to have approved the land purchase.
When questioned about whether the land buy had been legal, Stewart told the HCN via email on Thursday: “I have asked counsel for the District to look into this.”
Stewart told the HCN on Tuesday that he was just beginning to reach out to the taxing entities for support, but his statement was made in the context of a new building possibly costing $2.5 million. The taxing units would pay the cost over a 20-year period, he said.
GISD Communications Director Jeff Meador stated in an email to the HCN on Thursday that the information provided by the HCAD to the school district “indicated three potential properties under consideration but did not indicate that any property had been purchased.”
The school board tabled a proposed resolution of support at its regular meeting Monday night. School officials asked deputy appraiser Eddie Roe for additional information before making a decision.
Tuesday night the Gran-bury City Council voted unanimously not to adopt HCAD’s resolution after discussing it in closed session with Stewart.
City Attorney Jeremy SoRelle was in the room for that discussion. On Thursday the HCN sought comment from the city about whether questions of legalities had been raised during that discussion.
Public Information Officer Bethany Warner emailed this statement: “There were future budgetary questions regarding the resolution that need to be answered and resolved prior to supporting such a resolution.”
Her statement did not specifically address the land purchase or the legality of the purchase.
Mayor Pro Tem Tony Mobly, who made the motion not to approve the resolution, said he was “limited” on what he could say about the closed-door discussion.
When asked whether the council had been aware of the land buy and whether the legality of the purchase had been questioned, he said: “There were a number of questions surrounding this transaction that were talked about by the council.”
