Creg Mixon

I am a longtime East Montgomery County resident, a senior procurement professional at United Airlines, and an experienced elected public servant. I have served the New Caney ISD community for more than a decade as a Trustee, including as Board Vice President and President. My professional and public-service experience includes financial stewardship, contract negotiation, procurement, risk management, strategic planning, and organizational leadership....

I am running for the Montgomery Central Appraisal District Board because property owners deserve an appraisal district that is fair, accurate, transparent, fiscally responsible, accountable, and committed to providing taxpayers with understandable information and professional service. I also believe Board members must understand both the authority and the limitations of the office. The Board should not attempt to determine the value of an individual property, intervene in an individual appraisal, or decide a property owner's protest. Those responsibilities are established separately under Texas law. The Board's role is governance....

An effective MCAD Board member should bring sound judgment, financial discipline, governance experience, executive oversight, and a strong commitment to transparency and public accountability. Just as importantly, a director should understand the distinction between setting policy and providing oversight versus managing the day-to-day operations of the organization. During more than a decade on the New Caney ISD Board of Trustees, including service as Board Vice President and President, I have helped govern a large public organization through significant growth and change. My responsibilities have included oversight of budgets, capital investments, contracts, procurement, policy, facilities, strategic planning, executive leadership, and taxpayer resources....

The significance is direct accountability to Montgomery County voters. An elected director has a direct responsibility to the citizens who elect that director and should approach decisions from the perspective of the entire county. I would not view myself as representing a particular taxing entity, government bureaucracy, business interest, or politically connected individual. I would be accountable to the citizens of Montgomery County. That means being accessible, asking questions, insisting on transparency, respecting the limits of the office, and being willing to explain my decisions to taxpayers....

1. Governance and executive oversight. The Board appoints and oversees the Chief Appraiser, who serves as the chief administrator of the appraisal office. 2. Budget and financial oversight. The Board reviews and adopts the appraisal district's operating budget and should provide disciplined oversight of staffing, compensation, capital expenditures, major contracts, technology, and other operating costs....

The appraisal district and local taxing units have distinct responsibilities within the property-tax system. MCAD is responsible for determining property values in accordance with Texas law, while counties, cities, school districts, and other taxing units use those certified values as part of their own budgeting and tax-rate decisions. Taxing units have an appropriate role in the governance and funding of the appraisal district, but they should not direct or influence individual property valuations or appraisal outcomes in an effort to achieve a particular revenue result....

I have not personally handled an appraisal protest myself; like many property owners, I have used professional assistance. That experience reinforces my belief that taxpayers should not feel they need to hire an expert simply to understand how the appraisal and protest process works. Property owners should have clear, plain-language instructions, easy access to the information and comparable properties being used to support their appraisal, clearly published deadlines, understandable explanations of the informal review and Appraisal Review Board process, and strong online and in-person taxpayer assistance....

Transparency should mean more than publishing a final appraised value. Taxpayers should be able to understand, in plain language, how that value was determined and what information contributed to it. I would advocate for the greatest level of transparency permitted by law, including clear access to valuation methodologies, property characteristics, market-area classifications, comparable-property information, reappraisal plans, appraisal policies, and other information taxpayers need to understand the valuation process....

I would evaluate the budget using the same basic disciplines I apply in professional procurement and public governance: necessity, measurable benefit, competitive cost, total cost of ownership, staffing productivity, appropriate use of technology, vendor performance, contractual protections, benchmarking, risk, and accountability for results. Large increases should be supported by a clearly defined need, alternatives considered, expected outcomes, and an explanation of the long-term cost. Significant contracts and technology investments should be evaluated for overall value rather than simply continuing prior spending because it has historically been in the budget....

I would first require a clear business case explaining the need, urgency, total cost, available alternatives, funding source, expected benefit, and any long-term financial impact. My first question would be whether the need can be addressed within the existing budget through available resources, reprioritization, or offsetting savings. A new request should not automatically result in additional spending simply because it arises during the year....

The standard should be simple: the law and appraisal methodology must be applied consistently and fairly, regardless of who owns the property, where it is located, or the owner's influence or status. As a Board member, I would focus on whether MCAD has strong policies, internal controls, quality-assurance procedures, conflict-of-interest standards, ratio studies, audit processes, and complaint mechanisms designed to identify inconsistent treatment or potential favoritism....

Rapid growth makes accurate property inventory and data management increasingly important. The goal should be to identify new construction and property changes as early as possible rather than relying on corrections years later. As a Board member, I would focus on whether MCAD has effective systems for identifying omitted property, including the appropriate use of geographic information systems, permit and construction data, deed and ownership records, taxing-unit information, data matching, exception reporting, aerial imagery, field verification, and other available technology....

Texas law generally requires taxable property to be appraised at market value as of January 1 each year. As a Board member, my responsibility would be to ensure MCAD administers that requirement fairly, consistently, accurately, and efficiently, not to substitute a different valuation standard that is not authorized by law. I would focus on whether the district has reliable market data, sound appraisal methodology, appropriate quality controls, effective use of technology and data analytics, and sufficient operational capacity to produce accurate and uniform valuations across the county....

I believe every taxing authority should be expected to continually look for opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver greater value to taxpayers. However, I also understand from more than a decade of governing in public education that not every taxing authority is funded the same way or operates under the same statutory obligations. Public-sector budgets are affected by many factors outside an entity's direct control, including inflation, population and enrollment growth, compensation and benefit costs, insurance, utilities, fuel, construction costs, state mandates, and changes in funding formulas. In public education, for example, local property values, state funding, enrollment, tax-rate compression, and legislative decisions can all affect the resources available to a school district....

I do not believe a single arbitrary mileage limit should be applied to every property. Distance is important, but the more meaningful question is whether the properties actually compete in the same market and are genuinely comparable. Whenever possible, comparable properties should come from the same neighborhood, subdivision, or market area. However, depending on the type of property and the availability of comparable sales, a property slightly farther away may provide a more accurate comparison than a nearby property with significantly different characteristics....

Market values should be based on objective market evidence and generally accepted appraisal methods, applied consistently and without regard to how much tax revenue a particular value may generate. For most residential properties, the sales comparison approach is generally the most appropriate when sufficient reliable sales information is available. That means comparing a home to genuinely similar properties and making reasonable adjustments for differences such as location, size, age, condition, lot characteristics, improvements, and amenities. ...