TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — The chief appraiser and executive director of the Tarrant Appraisal District has resigned a little more than a week after the director was fired.
Friday afternoon, the Tarrant Appraisal District announced that Jeff Law tendered his resignation to the TAD Board of Directors.
Law’s last day with the District will be Sept. 6. In his resignation, Law thanked the employees of TAD for their "diligence and commitment to serving the local taxing units and taxpayers with courtesy and respect."
The TAD said the board of directors would be working swiftly and carefully to begin the process of hiring a new chief appraiser.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare said in a statement that the TAD board can now begin the effort to restore the public's trust in the organization.
"It is imperative they hire someone who understands the magnitude of the role, the importance of repairing the damage done, and the necessity of complete transparency," O'Hare said in the statement. "The new Chief Appraiser must be pro-taxpayer."
TAD Board Member Richard DeOtte said in a statement that it's "understandable" that Law decided to find another job with the current controversy following other controversies.
"I wish him well in the future," DeOtte said. "The board’s job now is to find a replacement and make sure the staff at TAD knows they are doing a great job and made all of the difference during the controversies of executive leadership."
Colleyville Mayor Bobby Lindamood said in a statement that he was pleased to see their calls for accountability answered.
"We look forward to working with TAD on enhancing their services to taxpayers," Lindamood said in the statement. "A fair and impartial appraisal process is critical for all property owners."
Last week, the Tarrant Appraisal District's director of information systems Cal Wood was fired in the wake of an investigation into allegations that raised questions about the cause of website problems users experienced earlier this year.
Tarrant County officials had called for a change in the Tarrant Appraisal District's leadership after TAD suspended Wood and launched an internal investigation this week.
The inquiry was centered on audio obtained by WFAA that raises questions about the cause of website problems users experienced in April and May. A whistleblower secretly recorded Wood telling staff he is "okay with creating a false narrative that distances the truth from the media" in August.
Law's full resignation letter is as follows:
Chairman Pompa and members of the Board,
Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from the Tarrant Appraisal District. My last day in the office will be September 6, 2023. The 2023 appraisal roll has been certified to all taxing units and the remaining staff are fully capable of finalizing any outstanding protests and other issues along with the future roll supplements to the Tax Assessor/Collectors TAD serves.
In recent months I have been approached from both private and public sector organizations regarding different employment possibilities. While I appreciate the vote of confidence I received from the board at its last board meeting, I have decided to pursue one of those opportunities.
I want to thank all the employees at TAD for being so supportive and creating an environment that made coming to work over the past 15 years something to look forward to. They always strived to follow best practices and perform our required duties and responsibilities in a timely and accurate manner. Together we served the local taxing units and taxpayers with courtesy and respect, and always looked to find solutions to issues that mutually met one another’s expectations. I am proud to say that TAD is operating at a high level and has been recognized by several outside authorities for its outstanding accomplishments related to its core responsibility and obligations. This staff is great, keep up the good work.
