On Monday, the board overseeing the Bexar Central Appraisal District is anticipated to substantiate a brand new member who’s well-known in conservative circles — and presently employed by a Koch-backed group that advocates for restricted authorities and chopping taxes.
Jonathan “Jon” Melendez, a grassroots engagement director at Individuals for Prosperity, was amongst 15 candidates who utilized for a short lived appointment after board member Robert “Bob” Bruce died in March.
That record included a number of former elected officers, together with former state Rep. Diana Arevalo (D-San Antonio) and former Harlandale ISD Board President David Sosa.
However an ad-hoc committee selected Melendez as the highest candidate to interchange Bruce, who additionally had held management positions with main conservative teams, and spent his time on the board championing a plan that efficiently froze contested value determinations for a single 12 months.
Appraisal districts are chargeable for assessing properties’ taxable worth — and got here below scrutiny a number of years in the past when such values had been skyrocketing.
In response to residents’ frustration, state lawmakers created the brand new elected positions throughout the 88th Texas Legislature’s common session in 2023 to present residents extra perception into the property appraisal course of, and put them on the poll as quickly as potential the next Could.
Although Bexar County hasn’t elected a Republican to a countywide workplace in additional than a decade, voters that 12 months selected the deeply conservative Bruce as one of many board’s three inaugural elected members, together with Naomi Elizabeth Miller, who labored for former Texas Home Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio), and Erika Hizel, a small landlord advocate who has a left-leaning political background.
Like Bruce, Melendez can also be well-known amongst native Republicans. He has an undergraduate diploma and a Grasp of Enterprise Administration from Texas A&M College, served within the U.S. Marine Corps, labored as a civilian on the Division of Protection and for Common Dynamics earlier than beginning his function with Individuals for Prosperity in November of 2023.
Individuals for Prosperity is one among a number of right-leaning teams initially funded by billionaire businessmen David and Charles Koch, aimed toward rallying grassroots assist to affect coverage on the state and native degree by chapters throughout the nation.
“I’m not right here to grandstand or be an activist on the board,” Melendez stated Tuesday. “I’m right here to ensure everyone seems to be handled pretty.”
If confirmed, Melendez would serve by essentially the most vital a part of the appraisal district board’s work — approving a two-year reappraisal plan that should be confirmed this fall.
It’s usually an administrative function, not policy-setting. However in Tarrant County, newly elected conservatives used that course of to experiment with sweeping modifications aimed toward reducing taxes, together with much less frequent value determinations and a cap on the quantity a property’s taxable worth might be elevated from one 12 months to the subsequent.
The open place Melendez could be filling — in addition to the opposite two elected board seats — are up for reelection in November.
The entire positions serve at massive and the places of work are nonpartisan, so there’s no major. Candidate submitting runs July 17 by Aug. 17, and Melendez stated he plans to run for a full time period.
The three elected members serve alongside different representatives chosen by the native taxing entities on a nine-member board.
To interchange Bruce, the board fashioned an ad-hoc committee consisting of two appointed members, Dave Gannon and Ralph E. Barksdale, as nicely two elected members, Hizel and Miller, who helped slim down the candidates.
They met briefly with all 15 candidates over Zoom, earlier than conducting a proper in-person interview with 5 finalists, and deciding on Melendez as their finalist.
Of all of the candidates thought of, Hizel stated he displayed among the clearest understanding of the appraisal district’s function within the taxing course of. Plus — within the spirit of enhancing transparency — she felt prefer it was vital for the board to take care of some ideological variety.
“He’ll do nicely within the legacy of Mr. Bruce,” Hizel stated.
