The Wood County Appraisal District (WCAD) is in search of a new board member.

The board recently received the resignation of Rhonda Turner of Quitman.

The former Quitman ISD superintendent has taken the position as interim superintendent of the Big Sandy school district.

As Big Sandy is one of the WCAD’s taxing entities, Turner is no longer eligible to serve on the board as an employee of a member.

Her replacement will be chosen by the board after the member entities have 45 days to offer nominations.

Turner’s term runs through the end of the year, when the five board member positions will be elected by the member entities for two-year terms.

No one appeared to comment on the proposed 2026 WCAD budget.

Following a brief public hearing, the board adopted the proposed budget of $2,256,000 for 2026. The member entities still have the opportunity to veto the budget, if enough disapprove.

The budget is an increase of $154,000 from last year, with the increases related primarily to higher personnel costs of $60,000 and $50,000 in increased purchase and contracted services. Of that, building maintenance is up $30,000 while the district’s contract for mineral and utility appraisals will rise $16,000.

The board approved a three-year contract with Pritchard and Abbott to assess the county’s minerals and utilities, at $106,000 for the first year, $111,000 for the second and $114,000 for the third.

The firm has done business with the county for many years.

Chief Appraiser Tracy Nichols said three projects are planned in the near future including plumbing repairs for an ongoing sewer blockage, repairing and resurfacing the parking lot and alterations to the parking lot in front of the building to remove a curb that presents a tripping hazard.

The plumbing work is expected to begin this week, while the two parking lot projects will be started once the appraisal review process is completed.

Nichols said there were 2,300 protests filed for property values, which is up a little from last year.

The final review hearings are scheduled July 8, with the district set to release final property values to the taxing entities around July 25.

They will receive two sets of numbers, with the second set to include the higher tax exemptions recently approved by the state legislature.

They cannot go into effect unless Texas voters approve them in the November constitutional amendment election.

The proposals would increase all homestead exemptions for school taxes from the current $100,000 to $140,000, with an additional $60,000 exemption for those 65 and over, making the total exemption $200,000.

A separate item sets a $125,000 exemption for business personal property, but it would not become effective until next year.

Nichols estimated two-thirds of the businesses in the county would no longer be taxed for personal property under the plan.

Business personal property includes furniture, fixtures and inventory.

Nichols said that mostly only larger retailers will have taxable property above the $125,000 amount.

Businesses would still be taxed on their land and buildings.