The Taxpayer Liaison Officer (TLO) is a unique position at an appraisal district. The TLO is not an appraisal district employee, but rather answers directly to the Board of Directors.

Their primary role is to resolve disputes arising from issues that cannot be addressed in the normal protest process. The TLO must also collect comments and suggestions from property owners, property owner’s agents, and the chief appraiser regarding issues of fairness and efficiency at the appraisal district.

The Texas Property Tax Code defines the types of issues that the TLO can address. Conflicts of interest, ex parte communications, and the hearings process itself are some of the issues that a TLO may contend with.

See section 5.103(b) of the Property Tax Code for the full list.

It is the policy of the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District that comments, suggestions, and other correspondence with the TLO should be initially submitted in writing. 

At each meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District, the TLO will provide the board with a report on the status of all filed comments, suggestions, and complaints.

What Does the Taxpayer Liaison Officer Do?

The taxpayer liaison officer’s duties include:

• Administer the public access functions required by the Property Tax
  Code.
• Supports efforts to assist property owners in understanding the
  appraisal process, protest procedures and related matters.
• Report to the Board of Directors at each meeting on the status of all complaints.
• Assist access to the board by non-English speaking and disabled
  property owners.
• Prepare information describing board functions and procedures
  involving how complaints are filed and resolved.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
• If requested, assist the local administrative district judge with the Appraisal Review Board of Fort Bend County selection process.

How to File a Complaint

In order to file a complaint, the necessary steps must be taken:

1. File a written complaint with the TLO. The complaint should adequately describe the situation, the person(s) involved, and the action(s) the complainant would like the Board of Directors to take concerning the complaint.
2. The TLO will research each complaint for all possible remedies. If the TLO and the complainant are able to resolve the problem, the TLO will then report the problem and its resolution in the informational report to the Board of Directors at their next regular scheduled meeting. If the TLO and the complainant are not able to resolve the problem, the TLO will place the complaint as an action item on the agenda for the next regular scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors.
3. In order for an unresolved complaint to be placed as an action item on the Board of Directors’ agenda, adequate time must be given to notify all parties involved in the complaint and to allow proper time to comply with the Open Meetings Act.
4. If an unresolved complaint involves a District employee, including the Chief Appraiser, the employee will be notified of the complaint and must submit a written response to be presented along with the complaint at the next regular scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors.

While a complaint is under investigation, the TLO will report on the status of the complaint to both the complainant and the Board of Directors at their monthly meetings until the complaint is resolved and presented to the Board of Directors.

Contact The Taxpayer Liaison Officer