FORT WORTH, Texas — After a unanimous vote, the Tarrant Appraisal District board selected Joe Don Bobbitt as the new Chief Appraiser.
Bobbitt takes leadership at TAD after months of controversial issues he admits cost them public trust. Before their vote Thursday morning, they heard all about trust during public comments.
Chandler Crouch is a professional property tax protester. Crouch signed up as one of the people to give public comments at the board meeting.
"It's just so important for the trust that we have with you guys for everything that you are transparent," Crouch said.
TAD shut down its public website after learning someone exposed admin passwords according to board members who say that information was initially kept secret from them too. Bobbitt told WFAA that things shall be different under his leadership. Three new board members will join TAD in January 2024.
"We have to earn that trust back," Bobbitt said. "We can't just demand or just because I am here means we are going to automatically be trusted."
What will be automatic, Bobbitt says, is making sure TAD's computer system is safe and secure. The board hired an outside vendor to investigate if hackers obtained taxpayer information after revealing someone exposed the passwords of TAD administrators. During their last meeting of the year the board learned preliminary investigation results from the company Apollo.
The board learned that Apollo found that there is no evidence that there was any taxpayer information that was accessed or compromised from the Tarrant Appraisal District.
TAD Board Member Vince Puente explained security is never-ending and will continue to be a goal and challenge for them.
"Our interim IT director has done an exceptional job being transparent with us, which is refreshing," Vince Puente.
"Hopefully the public respects us a little more than they have in the past," said Jon Don Bobbitt.