Bell Appraisal District Budget Total of $6.68 MM / Year
While it may not be trendy like Denton or Travis counties, Bell County is still a community on the rise. As property values have doubled in the past decade, the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County (Bell CAD) has continued to assess higher taxes. After years of stagnation, Bell CAD saw its budget double in 2024, showing that this important government agency got some much-needed investment. Despite this cash influx, the roster of employees stayed at 42, opening up the possibility of incorrect appraisal. Protect yourself from rising taxes by joining O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. Your taxes will be protested every year, and you will only pay from your savings if you lower your taxes. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total 2018 CAD Budget Including ARBSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Budget | 2.820 | 3.070 | 3.317 | 3.317 | 3.416 | 3.753 | 3.656 | 3.754 | 3.793 | 4.075 | 6.678 | |
| ARB Operations Budget | 0.0120 | 0.0120 | 0.0120 | 0.0130 | 0.0130 | 0.0130 | 0.0185 | 0.0224 | 0.0415 | 0.046 | 0.058 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since YOU can spend YOUR money better than the government.
Bell County CAD Operations and Budgets
Due to its roll setting taxable value, the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County (Bell CAD) influences how much money can be raised for government services every year. This gives the tiny agency huge influence across the county, and has some of the most soft power around. Property taxes are the only option to raise money in Texas and continue to grow every year to meet the annual budgets for dozens of entities.
O’Connor is here to fight on the side of the taxpayer. For over 50 years, O’Connor has represented Texans in over 101 counties, along with the majority of the nation. This experience in Texas is combined with national resources, making O’Connor the perfect partner when it comes to challenging your taxes.
Bell CAD Total Budget Including ARB
Like most appraisal districts, Bell CAD has had a tiny budget for most of its existence. This changed in 2024 when the budget nearly doubled in one year, going from $4.08 million to $6.68 million. This was certainly a surprise as the CAD has grown slowly over the past decade. The appraisal review board (ARB) is an impartial group that oversees formal appeals. While the CAD got a huge bump, the budget for the ARB only increased from $456,000 to $578,000.
Total Property Taxes Levied Bell CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Property Taxes Levied | 0.3511 | 0.3677 | 0.3813 | 0.4064 | 0.4311 | 0.4602 | 0.4893 | 0.5221 | 0.5935 | 0.6014 | 0.6648 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Appealing annually helps the appraisal district avoid over-taxing a property for both market value and unequal appraisal.
Bell County Total Amount of Property Taxes Levied
Along with property values, the taxes levied in Bell County have nearly doubled in the past decade, reaching $664.80 million in 2024. This was a significant jump from $601.40 million in 2023, and it appears that the levy will soon reach $1 billion. This trend has been seen all over Texas to some degree, though counties like Denton and Travis have tripled in the same timeframe. Still, for a working county, this is a strong rate of growth.
FTE Positions In Budget Total - BellCADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number of FTEs | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 50 | 50 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Valuation is a subjective matter where reasonable people can differ.
FTE Positions in Total Budget
It is common practice for Texas appraisal districts to be staffed as lightly as possible. This is certainly the case for Bell CAD, which had only 42 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in 2024. This has been the same size since 2020, which is stagnant to say the least. These low roster numbers mean that the same staff has to deal with a community that is growing every year, while taxes and values continue to soar. This leads to mistakes that can open the door for property tax appeals , if taxpayers are willing to take that step.
FTEs Assigned to the Appraisal - BellCADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| FTEs Appraisal Total | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
| Residential | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 14 | |
| Commercial | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| All Other | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is a great way to slow the growth of government spending (of your money).
Bell CAD FTEs Assigned to Property Appraisal
Not only has the roster stayed the same, but no new appraisers have been added since 2020. Of the original 42 FTEs, only 20 of them are appraisers. The other staff fill administrative positions and other roles. 14 appraisers were assigned to homes, while only two were assigned to commercial properties. The remaining four handled all other real estate. Many CADs are using improving technology to fill the personnel gap, which could explain the sudden budgetary increase that did not increase employees.