Harris Appraisal Review Board Staff and Pay
A total of 83,515 appraisal review board (ARB) hearings were held in 2024, saving Harris County residents $7.12 billion in Property tax valuation. 68% of homeowners that took their property tax appeal s to an ARB board got a reduction in their taxes. With 90 members and $3.54 million for the budget, the Harris County ARB is the biggest in all of Texas. Let O’Connor lead your formal appeal, and see the savings come rolling in. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ in 2025 to get a fair shake on your property taxes. There are no flat fees to worry about, no upfront costs to consider, and you only pay when you win. Let O’Connor do the heavy lifting while you enroll, relax, and save.
Total Number of ARB Members - Harris CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| ARB Members | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Total Number | 92 | 90 | 190 | 190 | 190 | 190 | 183 | 130 | 114 | 146 | 90 |
| New ARB Members | 22 | 22 | 41 | 41 | 37 | 42 | 115 | 64 | 57 | 50 | 46 |
| Returning ARB Members | 70 | 68 | 149 | 149 | 153 | 148 | 68 | 66 | 57 | 96 | 44 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since The appraisal district can’t possibly accurately value all the properties in the county. They need your help to correct over-valuation.
Harris County Appraisal Review Board
The first formal way that a taxpayer has to dispute their taxes is to take them before an appraisal review board(ARB) . ARBs are intended to hear arguments by taxpayers on why their property taxes are unfair and then make a ruling for the appellant or the Harris Central Appraisal District(HCAD). Despite being funded by HCAD, the boards are meant to be impartial to either side of a tax appeal. The Harris County board is also the busiest in Texas, conducting 83,515 hearings in 2024.
It is important to nail your formal hearing, as the only alternative to reduce property taxes after that is a judicial appeal. Go into your formal appeal with an experienced property tax consulting firm at your side. O’Connor is a Houston-based company that has fought for lower property taxes for over 50 years. O’Connor, one of the largest property tax firms in America, has the personnel and resources to help you get the best possible outcome.
Harris County ARB Members
As of 2024, there were 90 ARB members, a steep decline from 146 in 2023 and the lowest since 2014. Across Texas, ARB numbers have been shrinking since 2018 on average. Harris County had a hiring binge in 2020 and rebuilt its numbers again in 2023, but 2024 was a major change in the opposite direction. Boards are always made up of three people, meaning there were 10 boards in 2024. As with HCAD, the ARB is understaffed for the monumental task it has been given, which could explain falling formal hearings.
How Many Days did ARB Hold Hearings in Harris County?Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Days of ARB Hearings | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Days of ARB hearings | 148 | 164 | 144 | 152 | 146 | 154 | 143 | 158 | 178 | 151 | 139 |
Texas property owners should protest annually To avoid a surprise-increase in property taxes. This happens when the notice of value was lost. A large error in a home value is difficult to fix if not corrected through the normal appeal process.
Harris County ARB Days with Hearings
Boards do not have a set schedule, rather they keep working until every appeal before it is settled. The Harris County boards worked 139 days in 2024, down from 151 days in 2023. Due to declining demand for formal appeals, the cuts in membership may not sting as much. Still, there was a large caseload for only 10 boards to meet, putting pressure on everyone involved.
ARB CompensationSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Per Diem Rate | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Lowest per diem to ARB | $162 | $162 | $162 | $167 | $167 | $167 | $167 | $180 | $180 | $180 | $180 |
| Median per diem to ARB | $180 | $180 | $180 | $185 | $185 | $185 | $185 | $195 | $195 | $195 | $205 |
| Highest per diem to ARB | $198 | $198 | $198 | $204 | $211 | $211 | $211 | $215 | $240 | $240 | $240 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas property taxes are the largest tax payment for many Texans.
ARB Compensation
Boards are made up of experts when it comes to property taxes, laws, and appraisals. This means that each trio needs to be compensated accordingly, even if serving the board is seen as a civil service. The highest pay was $240 per day, while the lowest was just $180. The median per diem was $205 million. Each of these categories were substantially higher than the average pay in Texas, showing that the board members were at least paid correctly for the time. Many members also worked half days, for half the wages.