Did Tarrant County Judge Cross Ethical Boundaries in Campaign for District Council Review?

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A Tarrant County Board of Review candidate says county Judge Tim O’Hare’s involvement in the race is crossing an ethical line.

Chuck Kelley, a Colleyville City Council Memberis competing Seat 3, one of three vacant seats on the board after the Legislature created publicly elected directors for assessment districts.

Kelley said county judge Tim O’Hare told him not to run a few minutes after he left O’Hare’s office to register his race entry.

state property tax administration law says candidate applications for the district review board must be submitted to the county judge, who is responsible for reviewing the applications and determining whether to accept or reject them.

“Tim calls me on my way home and says, ‘I’m calling you as a friend,’” Kelley said, recalling the January conversation. “’I just want you to know as a friend that I found this guy and you don’t want to run against him.’”

“That guy” is Matt Bryanta real estate investor who is also running for Place 3.

In a post on his campaign’s Facebook page, Kelley said O’Hare should not be involved in the race.

“He handpicked three candidates and is now using his political donations to publicize his support,” Kelley wrote in the April 6 post. “He is the one who is running this election. Would you be comfortable with the Tarrant County elections chief paying to support candidates? Seems like a violation of ethics to me. Do you want him to control the entire board that evaluates his property?

The Tarrant Appraisal District is responsible for the election and hired the county elections administrator to handle the election, O’Hare told the Star-Telegram in a statement. He said his role was limited to receiving applications.

“The only election functions for which my office is responsible are those associated with receiving and completing the application for a place on the ballot,” O’Hare wrote. “The county judge’s office is not acting as election administrator for this election.”

He said he has no intention or ability to control the appraisal district, which sets property tax assessments and administers exemptions in Tarrant County.

“While it’s fun to hear that someone believes I can control the TAD Board, it just doesn’t work that way,” O’Hare said.

Susan Hays, an attorney based in Austin and Alpine who works in political law, said O’Hare, in its role as filing authority, should not weigh in on candidates.

“The county judge has the power to accept or reject ballot requests. Ethically, guardians should not choose sides. That’s up to voters to decide.” Hays said.

Kelley said Bryant invited him to a meeting in February at the Vaquero Country Club in Westlake, where Bryant informed him that O’Hare would support Bryant, Eric Morris It is Callie Rigney.

Bryant could not be reached for comment.

Morris is a Member of Haltom town council competing for first place against Trae Fowler, developer and entrepreneur, and Sayeda Bilqees Syedwho has served on the TAD board and works as a mechanical engineer.

Callie Rigney, mayor pro tem of Colleyville, is running for second against Eric Crilefirefighter and paramedic.

Early voting begins April 22 for the May 4 election.

O’Hare did not respond to a question asking whether he called Kelley after filing, but acknowledged his endorsement.

“Like many other Tarrant County residents, I want to see pro-taxpayer advocates elected to bring reform to the assessment process and greater transparency to the TAD,” O’Hare said. “The candidates I supported will do just that.”

Kelley said that although he and O’Hare are politically aligned, the two are not friends.

“You know it’s never good when someone calls you ‘friend’ because I never broke bread with Tim, I never drank with Tim,” he said. “Tim is a political person I helped.”