Who should be the next Tarrant County tax assessor? See the Star-Telegram endorsement | Opinion
There are sleepy races, and then there is the contest for Tarrant County tax assessor-collector.
And perhaps that’s as it should be. It’s the office most voters will interact with, through tax payments and vehicle transactions. The focus should be a business-like approach and minimal politics.
Of the two candidates running, Republican Rick Barnes is the better option to keep the office humming. His mix of business and political experience will help maintain a record of service and ensure taxpayer advocacy.
Barnes, 61, is an insurance agent and former county Republican party chairman. He served as Keller’s mayor pro tempore. Barnes defeated current Tax Assessor-Collector Wendy Burgess in the March primary, a bitter rematch between the two.
Then, he focused mostly on seeking reforms at the Tarrant Appraisal District, where the tax assessor is a board member. That agency has since seen the direct election of trustees for the first time, and the board implemented many of the changes Barnes said he sought, such as a lower cap on property appraisals.
Barnes, who was not available for an interview, will still be a good watchdog for taxpayers, though. And while he said at the time that he thought the customer service functions of the tax assessor’s office were running well under Burgess, he’s the best bet to keep that going.
Democrat KC Chowdury is not running much of a campaign. The businessman and former state House candidate did not respond to numerous interview requests or complete media outlets’ voter guide questionnaires.
The winner will replace Burgess and earn a four-year term. Early voting runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bradford William Davis, columnist and editorial writer; Bud Kennedy, columnist; and Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 5:22 AM.