HENDERSON COUNTY–Henderson County Commissioners’ Court voted Dec. 10 to cast all its balloting votes for a single Henderson County Appraisal District (HCAD) board of directors member who County Judge Wade McKinney said represents the interests of the county.
The vote was done in accordance with Section 6.03 of the Texas Property Tax Code while casting the county’s ballot for Henderson County Appraisal District (HCAD) Board of Directors 2025, which McKinney said is related to law changes to the board of directors, which he said does not set appraisals.
Appraisal disputes are handled by Appraisal Review Boards, according to the Texas Comptroller. Also according to the state comptroller, an appraisal district’s board of directors governs the district and sets the operational budget (which is then approved by member taxing units) and hires the chief appraiser, among other duties.
McKinney said the law change makes all board members up for election by taxing entities, of which he said Henderson County is the largest vote-holder. The court decided to cast all the county’s votes for Maurice Cox, who was reappointed to the board in October after a previous stint, following the passing of HCAD board member Anne Sherrill.
The court also authorized the sheriff’s office to trade certain firearms to Athens Pawn Shop. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said his office is looking to trade seized firearms that the department “has no use for.” In the trade, the sheriff said the county would receive “equipment that is needed” such as helmets to replace those out of date.
In other business, the court:
• Approved purchasing rifle-resistant body armor using an Office of the Texas Governor grant for the sheriff’s office.
• Approved a request from the Henderson County Tax Assessor-Collector to refund overpaid taxes, issuing three checks totaling $14,714.19.
• Approved election cycle payroll disbursements of $70,081.31.
• Approved a right-of-way permit for Brushy Creek Water Supply Corp. to add pipe to its lines along County Roads 1102 and 1104, located in Precinct 1 in the Modoc community off South State Highway 19 in extreme southern Henderson County.
• Approved a right-of-way permit for Conquest Wireless to install fiber-optic cable in the Cedar Branch Park subdivision located in Precinct 2.
• Approved a Precinct 4 right-of-way permit for Brushy Creek Water Supply Corp. to upgrade water lines along Anderson County Road 404, of which 1,600 feet of roadway is in Henderson County (according to Precinct 4 Commissioner Mark Richardson), as well as along Henderson County Road 4528, both in the Carroll Springs area.
• Approved paying fiscal year 2024 bills of $369,561.66.
• Approved combining three lots into one within Beachwood Estates on the west side of Cedar Creek Lake, located in Precinct 1.
• Approved a plat addressed on County Road 3622 under a discretionary exemption under Appendix U within the county’s subdivision regulations.
• Took no action after an executive session to deliberate and discuss job applications and candidates for Henderson County Fire Marshal and Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace.