That sneaky little election you probably haven’t heard much about is coming up fast. Election day is May 4, but early voting starts Monday, April 22. Thanks to legislation advanced by far-right members, this year, for the first time ever, voters across Texas will be asked to elect some of the people who will serve on the obscure oversight boards that play a critical role in the state’s property tax system. In Travis County, Democrats fear this low-information election could allow Republicans to gain power in the staunchly progressive area.
Three candidates in this race were recruited by the Travis County Democratic Party. We’re endorsing them based largely on their commitment to keep appraisals accurate. These Democratic candidates warn that their more conservative opponents could work to manipulate appraisals in ways that would cost Austin ISD dearly, and also impact access to other public services and spaces. Our recommended candidates are: Jett Hanna, an attorney with experience in commercial real estate law who served on TCAD’s board from 1988-1990; Daniel Wang, an Austin native who has worked as an attorney in the energy sector since graduating from law school in 2020; and Dick Lavine, perhaps the most qualified candidate imaginable for one of these positions, as he has been a widely respected budget and school finance guru at the Texas Capitol for decades and served on TCAD’s board of directors from 1997-2018.
Travis Central Appraisal District, Board of Directors, Place 1:
Jett Hanna
Travis Central Appraisal District, Board of Directors, Place 2:
Shenghao “Daniel” Wang
Travis Central Appraisal District, Board of Directors, Place 3:
Dick Lavine
For a deeper dive into this election, read Austin Sanders’ coverage of it here.
This article appears in May 3 • 2024, April 26 • 2024, and April 19 • 2024.