Tom Green County Appraisal District Uses Valuebase

The City of San Angelo is waiting for final appraisals from the Tom Green County Appraisal District.  Those valuations are needed to finish the city's budget.  Valuations have been an issue for several years as the District first caught up on property valuations, then did likewise with land values.  

Concho Valley Homepage reported on last year's valuations:

Dozens of property owners crowded into the Tom Green County Appraisal District Review Board meeting Thursday, May 11, 2023, and dozens more waited outside. Almost all of them were looking for answers about why their property appraisals had increased so much.

People were angry and looking for answers.  The responsible folks were not in the room.

Ryan Newlin, the owner of ERA Newlin and Company real estate in San Angelo, said that the State Comptroller’s office sets property values.

“The State of Texas mandates what the tax office does,” said Newlin. “It comes out of the Comptroller’s office.”

Appraisals are driven by the State of Texas.  In 2023:

The Tom Green County Appraisal District delivered over 50,000 notices of appraised value this year, according to the press release. While mass appraisals are done by the appraisal district, Johnson shared that protesting values and resolving protests will be done on a case-to-case basis.  

Citizens may not be aware of the vendor currently assisting the Appraisal District with mass appraisals.  It's Austin based Valuebase. Tom Green County is listed as one of four localities on Valuebase's website.

That website states:

An automated valuation model (AVM), or mass appraisal model, is a service that uses mathematical equations to value properties by analyzing relevant data points and making comparisons across a large number of properties. By taking into account features such as size, sale conditions, and quality of construction, as well as statistical measurements of amenities, location, and depreciation, AVMs provide a fast, fair and cost-effective conclusion of a property’s value.

So who is behind Valuebase?  The Texas Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search provided no information.

A search using Geo Land Solutions, Valuebase's prior name, also produced no information.

Pitchbook shows the firm began in 2022 and had two funding rounds.  The latest $6.3 million funding round was led by Narya Capital.  

America's tech dynasty is backing Narya Capital, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and Eric Schmidt.  Narya founder, J.D. Vance was just named Vice President under former President Donald Trump.  Narya backer Vivek Ramaswamy has been cited as a possible Senate replacement for Vance after the election.

J. D. Vance stepped away from Narya Capital when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.  His latest financial disclosure form show he holds both limited partner and general partner stakes in Narya.  That means he is in a position to profit from Narya's Valuebase holdings.

Valuebase is small peanuts for this group of tech bros, however their work will impact thousands of real people very soon.  Citizens have been angry over the last few appraisal cycles.  If this round comes back bad again, who are the people to blame?  It could be artificial intelligence.

Valuebase CEO Will Jarvis said his company is "delivering cutting-edge solutions that empower governments with world-class AI valuation models."

Artificial intelligence can utilize incorrect or outdated information.  AI brings to mind an impenetrable system.   

It all seems structured to de-power people.  The accountable people aren't in the Appraisal District board room, the software uses "precision tailored" algorithms and those profiting from the process live in a world separate and distinct from the common person.  

J.D. Vance may not forget his upbringing.  Citizens in Tom Green County need Vance to see them as they deal with their latest valuation.  Big changes could cause some to struggle.

Update:  WaPo wrote about tech bros sudden love for Trump and the Red Team.  The Guardian did as well.  

Update 8-8-24:  A citizen spoke in public comment at San Angelo City Council regarding the Appraisal District's shift to appraising properties annually, instead of once every three years.  She encouraged people to attend the upcoming Tom Green County Appraisal District board meeting.

City Council to Hold Budget Session

San Angelo City Council will hold a budget workshop after their regular meeting.  Staff will present General Fund budget plans for a number of city departments. 

The draft budget for Animal Services is $1,350,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.  This is a $96,000 increase from the original budget for this fiscal year.  It will be interesting to hear Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden's presentation to Council given San Angelo's ever increasing loose pet crisis.  Morgan informed Council of a dog pack around the 2000 block of Bryant Blvd. in their last meeting.  She did so in public comment (which Council may alter on Tuesday).

A separate capital improvement project for the Animal Shelter has lingered since April 2023 when the city received financing specifically for that renovation.  Project complexity pushed finished construction back from January 2024 to April 2024.

Construction Manager Al Torres informed Council the project would be bid in May.  That is yet to happen.   The City's capital improvement plan shows a November 2024 completion date but that is hard to believe given the project is expected to take six months.  Will it be finished by January 2025?

Below is CIP information from the city's website (beware the poor contrast resolution).

 A screenshot of that page shows its unread ability:

I requested a custom PDF to see if that improved resolution and readability.  The process took just over 15 minutes and the document received was dramatically better.  See the print screen below:

City Council prioritized compliance with the Americans for Disabilities Act and staff have working hard on changes.  Clear.gov needs to do likewise for the web based CIP document.  

It remains to be seen if Council asks about shelter renovations while Morgan is answering operating budget questions.  There are few signs that a strategic review is underway regarding Pets Alive/Best Friends Animal Society policies and "community sheltering" practices incorporated by Animal Services.  An invitation to do so has been outstanding for years.

Update 7-16-24:  Morgan did not appear before council during their budget workshop.  Finance Director Tina Dierschke covered the $232,000 for temporary shelter facilities, saying they had previously been approved by Council.

The city plans to use federal COVID funds for the temporary shelter.  Staff provided no updates on the timeline for either shelter renovation.  This may be the slowest urgent renovation project in San Angelo history.  

After October 1st the city will not take public comment for workshop meetings.  Council approved staff recommended changes but passed on moving public comment to the end of City Council meetings.

City to Further Restrain Public Comment

San Angelo City Council will entertain staff recommendations to reign in comments from the public.  A major move involves shifting open public comment from the beginning of the meeting to the end.  The resolution states:

Any member of the public attending a regular open meeting that wishes to address the governing body or board may do so either during the open public comment period at the end of the meeting or during the agenda item at the meeting when the presiding officer calls for public comment on that item. There will be no public comments taken at workshops or special meetings where no action will be taken.

The agenda shows the item relative to public comment in the Consent portion.  Items in this section are often approved en masse with no discussion or public comment, unless pulled by a Council member.

Consent Agenda

j.  Consider a resolution amending reasonable rules for public comment to be effective October 1, 2024. (Heather Stastny)

Staff's memo to Council states: 

Public comment will be allowed during all regular City Council and City board meetings. No public comment will be taken at special meetings or workshops where no business will be conducted.

Each member of the public wishing to speak shall be required to sign in with the City Clerk or Board Secretary prior to the meeting starting and indicate the item they wish to speak on. The City Clerk or Board Secretary will call names in order with City residents being given priority to speak first.

Members of the public may only speak about the items they indicated on the sign-in sheet and should be comments related to the authority of the City.

Documents or slides to be projected at the meeting will only be accepted for agenda items and not the open public comment period.

These rules will become effective as of October 1, 2024.

No public comment will be taken at workshops or special meetings?  Tuesday Council will hold a budget workshop (on the General Fund which covers many city departments).  Animal Services shows nearly a $100,000 increase from the current budget.  Many citizens are concerned about our significant loose pet problem, caused in part by years of shelter shutoff and releasing thousands of unaltered dogs from the shelter to owners.  This workshop includes public comment.  Does the proposed change mean next year during the budget process City Council will omit/not allow public comment?

City Council meetings are a significant time commitment for a member of the public.  Gone will be the opportunity to slip in for an agenda item, make public comment and then leave.  People will have to show up early enough to do the sign in with City Clerk.  I imagine that will close at a specific time, 8:20 or 8:25 am.  

There will be no opportunity for someone in attendance to contribute their thoughts or knowledge on a spur of the moment basis.  Citizens interested in running for City Council often reacted to city business in public comment.  

The City Clerk will call names for people signed up for that item to come forward.  If someone is not on the list their comments will not be allowed.

The City frequently conducts public hearings in Council and other board meetings.  It will now institute rules for public unhearing.  This feels unnecessary and a more than a little "tone deaf."

In December 2022 Council restricted public information requests.  In July 2024 it may limit public comments.  These moves raise questions about its desire to serve the public.

At the top of the City's organizational chart sits "Citizens of San Angelo."   The public will learn Tuesday if Council answers to citizens or is there to serve staff.

Update 7-16-24:  City Council approved all public comment changes but one.  Public comment will remain at the beginning of the meeting and not be moved to the end.  

Yesterday the city asked for citizen comments via its news feed.

Austin Animal Shelter Closes Intake

The City of Austin closed dog and cat intake to the public.  Their news release states:

Intake is now restricted to emergencies only which includes animals that have life-threatening injury or illness, or animals that present a clear public safety risk.

How is a citizen to know if a found pet has life threatening injury or illness?  Instructions to the public include:

AAC asks that residents who need assistance with an injured animal take the following steps:

• Call 311, advise them that you need assistance with a sick or injured animal and ask to speak with an Animal Protection Officer.
• Wait for the Animal Protection Officer to pick up the animal. Do not bring the animal to the shelter.
• If you have found a loose pet that is not injured, please visit AAC’s Lost and Found Pet website for guidance.

The City of San Angelo closed shelter intake in November 2022.  "Community sheltering" means a drastic increase in unaltered, loose dogs in city neighborhoods.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden informed City Council during public comment that Animal Control self-initiated a search for an unreported animal pack near Bryant Boulevard and Knickerbocker Road.  The officers were unable to locate the pack during patrols but had "an initial contact" where the dogs appeared to be owned and socialized.  

Morgan mentioned that people are not calling for services but sharing information online.  People don't call for services as Animal Control is frequently unresponsive to requests because the shelter is full.  The city's strategy is effectively "let them roam unaltered."  Anyone who finds a loose dog is put on a "path to shelter acceptance."  San Angelo citizens can thank Pets Alive (which originated in Austin) and Best Friends Animal Society for making shelter services inaccessible. 

The City of Austin just entered the "Intake Closed" zone.  It may result in fewer shelter deaths but dogs die from lack of food, water and shelter, as well as environmental hazards (cars, dog packs and cruel people).  The numbers game just shifts the location of death and imparts much greater suffering.

How long before Austin becomes like a third world country with loose dogs packing up and roaming?  It's widespread in San Angelo.  

Mayor Gunter responded to Morgan's update on the Bryant Boulevard dog pack.  She said she would ask two nearby restaurant owners to stop their employees from providing food and water for the dogs (in the midst of numerous heat warnings).  

San Angelo followed Austin which got us into a loose dog mess.  Now Austin is following San Angelo in leaving them out on the streets.  Can various city leaders stop playing a numbers game and deal with what is?