top of page
Donate!

Michael Hall for County

Commissioner Precinct  4

Transparency and Turmoil: Questions About Nueces County Appraisal Values and Oversight

Updated: Dec 15, 2025

The Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD) is tasked with one of the most consequential and sensitive responsibilities in local government: placing fair market values on every piece of real and business property in the county, a process that underpins property tax bills for homeowners, businesses, schools, hospitals, and city services.

When that system breaks down, not just in individual valuations but in how decisions are made and how transparent those decisions are, the entire community suffers. In recent years, NCAD has faced several controversies that raise critical questions about transparency, due process, and oversight by local elected officials, including the Nueces County Commissioners Court, which has indirect but important influence through appointments and county budget processes.

Procurement Controversy: Software Selection Under Scrutiny


In early 2025, NCAD became embroiled in a public dispute over its procurement process for a major piece of technology used in valuing property: a Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) software system.

A long-time district employee raised serious concerns during a public board meeting, alleging that the Request for Proposal (RFP) process was structured in a way that favored a specific vendor, True Prodigy Tech Solutions, before proposals were even submitted. According to the employee, NCAD used a template for the RFP that had been taken from another appraisal district that had already selected True Prodigy, suggesting that the outcome may have been predetermined. KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi

These are not minor procurement concerns. A CAMA system is the backbone of property valuation: it stores property data, runs valuation models, and influences millions, sometimes billions, of dollars in taxable values. Yet the public record of how the procurement was conducted, what competitive offers were received, and why decisions were made has been opaque.

The allegations were serious enough that the board considered scrapping the process and hiring an outside firm to oversee a new, more transparent RFP cycle. KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi

Leadership on Leave During Investigation


Further underscoring internal instability, NCAD’s Chief Appraiser, Ronnie Canales, was placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation into personnel and software procurement issues unfolded. KIII TV

At the same time, Assistant Chief Appraiser Leticia Roberts was separately placed on paid administrative leave following allegations that she attempted to influence or manipulate the software bid scoring process in favor of a particular vendor, a claim that arose from a letter submitted by a software company alleging bias in scoring criteria. KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi

These leave actions happened without clear communication to the public about:

  • The full scope of the investigation

  • Whether the issues identified might affect current or past appraisal valuations

  • What oversight the board or county has implemented to prevent recurrence

Transparency matters precisely because these offices influence taxes for every property owner in the county.

Appraisal Values and Unresolved Commercial Disputes


Separate reports show that NCAD has faced high-profile valuation disputes that remain unresolved, particularly involving massive commercial properties like refineries. In one example, property valuation for two large refineries fluctuated wildly over a short period with initial appraised values in the billions reduced dramatically before certification, leaving taxing entities such as Del Mar College, the county, and others facing potential budget deficits. KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi

These valuation swings have real financial consequences:

  • They alter the tax base used to set tax rates

  • They affect budget planning for schools, hospitals, and municipalities

  • They create uncertainty in long-term public financial planning


Yet public explanations for such massive valuation shifts, which directly influence everyone’s tax bills, have been sparse.

Appraisal Review and Taxpayer Rights


NCAD legally must follow the Texas Property Tax Code and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Nueces County Appraisal District Property owners who believe they have been overvalued can protest their appraisals through the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), an independent body intended to provide due process for disagreements. Nueces County Appraisal District

But while this protest mechanism exists, the overall system hinges on accurate, transparent methodologies and publicly understandable valuation criteria.

When internal investigations, leadership leave, and procurement controversies take over board agendas, the focus on core appraisal transparency and accuracy can become secondary, leaving the public out of the loop.

Why This Matters to Residents and Property Owners


Property tax bills are calculated by applying a tax rate to an appraisal district’s estimate of your property’s market value. When values are inflated, even slightly, residents pay more taxes. When large commercial values shift unpredictably, those changes ripple across tax rates and budgets.


When processes like procurement, leadership accountability, and methodology updates lack clear public reporting, the trust contract between the appraisal district and property owners erodes.


For example, consider:

  • A long-time chief appraiser placed on administrative leave without explanation

  • An assistant chief appraiser sidelined amid bid-rigging allegations

  • A major software procurement investigation with little public disclosure

  • Massive valuation swings for major taxpayer entities with unresolved disputes

These aren’t isolated administrative quirks. They are structural transparency failures.

A Call for Stronger Oversight and Clear Reporting


County residents and property owners deserve a system that ensures:


1. Full public disclosure of major procurement decisions Appraisal technologies and methodologies directly influence valuation results. The public deserves clear, accessible records of how these decisions are made and why particular vendors were selected.

2. Open reporting on investigations and findings When senior leadership is placed on leave or investigations occur, summary findings, or at least transparent explanations of procedures and outcomes, should be part of the public record.

3. Regular communication about valuation methodology changes Major shifts in appraisal criteria, cost schedules, or automated valuation modeling should be accompanied by plain-language explanations and opportunities for public comment.

4. Commissioners Court engagement on value impacts

While the Commissioners Court does not set appraisal values, it broadly oversees county expenditures and appointments that affect NCAD. Active, transparent engagement on valuation impacts should be part of county governance.

The Bottom Line

Property appraisal is not just an administrative function, it’s a public trust. Every valuation affects revenue for schools, emergency services, infrastructure, county services, and individual taxpayers. When transparency falters, the public loses not just clarity, but confidence.

Nueces County’s appraisal district has faced serious controversies in recent years, including procurement disputes, leadership investigations, and unresolved valuation disagreements. These unresolved issues point to a broader need for clear reporting, stronger procedural safeguards, and proactive oversight from elected officials.

Property owners deserve better than ambiguity. They deserve a system that honors fairness, accuracy, and transparency.

Sources

 
 
bottom of page