Monday, March 24, 2025
AZLE — Sayeda Bilqees Syed is on a mission to visit 41 cities and 21 school districts in Tarrant County before an important Dec. 13 vote. During an Oct. 15 city council meeting, Azle was one of her first stops.
The Tarrant Appraisal District determines property values for taxes. It is headed by an eight-member board of directors who resolve disputes, appoint appraisers, set the budget and ensure other critical duties are carried out for the county. Five of these board members are appointed by taxing units, which includes cities, school districts, colleges and like entities, while another three were elected in May. With the window for nominations having recently closed, some candidates are going above and beyond to prove their worth and loyalty to local taxing units.
While TAD is still preparing the ballot from which cities and school districts will choose their candidates, Syed said she believes she received the most nominations, eight cities and three school districts, by the Oct. 14. nomination deadline.
Syed has served on the citizen-led Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board, which hears disputes between property owners and TAD, and has a background in mechanical engineering and management. Syed said that at 38-years-old, she was the youngest person on TARB, and she worked hard to keep the board on the straight and narrow.
With Azle City Council having only seven votes out of the 5,000 held by TAD taxing units, Syed said her purpose in being there was to encourage the taxing units to hold their appointees accountable and remind them of the important and growing duties of the position.
“I'm here to represent everyone, regardless of your size,” Syed said. “Once you're sitting (on the board), you represent each and every one.”
Syed continued that she would even visit the TAD taxing units that do not get any votes to appoint directors. Each taxing unit is allocated a certain number of votes per Texas Tax Code Section 6.03 using a calculation based on the amount of Tarrant County property taxes that are raised. While the city has seven, Azle ISD has 24 and smaller entities on the fringes of Tarrant County, like the city of Reno, have zero.
