NCAD Budgets Total $10.10 MM / Year
While many residents may not notice it, the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD) is one of the most important government agencies in the county. Responsible for assessing all real property in the county, the CAD’s data is used by taxing bodies to create tax bills. Despite its importance, NCAD is perpetually understaffed, forcing mass appraisals and other tactics that often overassess homes and businesses. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and fight back with a property tax appeal. There is no cost to join, and you will never be surprised by a hidden fee. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total 2018 CAD Budget Including ARBSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Budget | 6.540 | 6.537 | 6.706 | 7.691 | 7.939 | 8.244 | 8.543 | 8.921 | 9.441 | 9.644 | 10.104 | |
| ARB Operations Budget | 0.0955 | 0.0150 | 0.0989 | 0.1280 | 0.1392 | 0.1407 | 0.1431 | 0.1431 | 0.1431 | 0.143 | 0.164 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since YOU can spend YOUR money better than the government.
NCAD Operations and Budgets
Since Texas has no state income tax, local government is funded through property taxes. Real estate values are assessed by NCAD, which are then used as the basis for taxes by various entities. These entities, like school districts and MUDs, set tax rates to meet their annual budgets. This makes NCAD an important cog in the governmental machine, one that many residents overlook. .
Due to having so much ground to cover, NCAD is often forced to use inaccurate methods to find property values. These often use broad estimates, not considering what homes and businesses are actually worth. This leaves these values inflated and wide-open for appeal. Let O’Connor handle your appeal for you, netting you the best reduction possible. As one of the largest firms in the nation, O’Connor has the resources and experience to achieve victory at all protest levels.
NCAD Total CAD Budget Including ARB
As of 2024, the budget for NCAD was set at $10.10 million. While much smaller than the huge budgets of other counties, it is still a significant amount of funding. In comparison, the appraisal review board (ARB) saw a budget of only $163,700. The ARB rules of formal appeals are a vital shield against rampant increases from NCAD, yet they receive a fraction of the funding. As formal appeals become a bigger part of the process in Nueces County, greater funding will be needed to keep things running smoothly.
Total Property Taxes Levied Nueces CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Property Taxes Levied | 0.5833 | 0.6174 | 0.6522 | 0.6522 | 0.6785 | 0.7299 | 0.7874 | 0.8132 | 0.8807 | 0.8578 | 0.8765 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Appealing annually helps the appraisal district avoid over-taxing a property for both market value and unequal appraisal.
NCAD Total Amount of Property Taxes Levied
While not responsible for setting or collecting taxes, the values assessed by NCAD are an important part of the system. $877 million in taxes were levied in 2024, the second-most ever. While they have not doubled in the past decade, as property values have, taxes will continue to increase thanks to growing annual budgets. The growing protest movement in Nueces County has also helped slow the growth of levies.
FTE Positions In Budget Total - Nueces CADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number of FTEs | 79 | 79 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 85 | 87 | 88 | 87 | 90 | 90.54 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Valuation is a subjective matter where reasonable people can differ.
FTE Positions in Total Budget
In the past decade, NCAD has grown little when it comes to staff. In 2024, there were 90 full-time equivalent employees (FTE). This was tied with 2023 for the most FTEs seen in the county. 2014 saw a roster of 79, meaning the CAD has only added 11 FTEs in 10 years. While technology does make the job easier, that is still a low number compared to the growing county they are supposed to assess.
FTEs Assigned to the Appraisal - Nueces CADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| FTEs Appraisal Total | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | |
| Residential | 13 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | |
| Commercial | 6 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| All Other | 20 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is a great way to slow the growth of government spending (of your money).
NCAD FTEs Assigned to the Property Appraisal
Only half of the 90 FTEs were appraisers, with the rest being support staff. This left only 45 employees to appraise the whole of Nueces County. While not the biggest county in Texas, that is still a tall order. There were an estimated 217,100 parcels in Nueces County in 2024, meaning that each appraiser had to handle around 4,824.44 parcels each. This explains why only a fraction of all parcels were assessed.