Cameron Property Tax Protest ARB Tax Savings over $6 MM in 2023

Formal appeals in Cameron County have been fluctuating between peaks and valleys for years. However, these are seeing record savings when it comes to value and taxes, showing just how effective they can be. While most taxpayers in the county utilize informal appeals, hearings before the appraisal review board (ARB) actually have a higher success rate and managed to reduce $803.60 million in taxable value in 2023, a new record. Get the best from your protests when you enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. There is no cost to enroll, and you will only see a fee if your taxes are lowered. Enroll, relax, and save.

Protests with Written ARB DeterminationSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total protests	1.415	1.299	1.302	1.161	0.910	1.561	2.160	2.559	2.635	2.229	2.344
Protests single family residential	0.476	0.320	0.573	0.331	0.530	0.342	0.484	1.116	1.277	0.805	1.117
Protests with all other	0.939	0.979	0.729	0.830	0.380	1.219	1.676	1.443	1.358	1.424	1.226

Texas property owners should protest annually since Hearing results depend on the appraiser assigned or the ARB; results vary widely. You do not know the appraiser or ARB panel prior to appealing.

Cameron County Protests with Written ARB Determination

Similar to counties like Hidalgo or El Paso, Cameron taxpayers tend to focus on informal appeals to find tax relief. These set records for both tax cuts and value reduction in 2023, and the trend is continuing to go upward. While informal hearings have various ups-and-downs, the taxpayers of Cameron County have generally been engaging with formal hearings at a much steadier pace. There may not be as many protests in this fashion, but there is stable growth in both appeals and results.

Making a formal appeal to the appraisal review board (ARB) is much more difficult than going for an informal result. Taxpayers will need expert advice and representation to defeat the Cameron Appraisal District (Cameron CAD) in front of the ARB. O’Connor is here to help and can be the perfect partner for hearings with the ARB and even beyond. As one of the largest property tax firms in the nation, O’Connor has the personnel and resources needed to bully Cameron CAD into submission. Based in Texas, O’Connor also has an innate understanding of Texas law, evidence, and other requirements, along with connections with the ARB.

Cameron CAD Protests by Property Type

Formal hearings have been growing in Cameron County every year, though 2023 was a bit of a backstep after years of constant growth. There were a total of 2,229 hearings before the ARB in 2023, down from the record of 2,635 in 2022. This was still the third-best total of all time and was another year that towered over the majority of the previous decade. The near-constant growth of formal appeals demonstrates that taxpayers are no longer satisfied with what Cameron CAD gives at the lower level and also shows just how valuable property in the county is becoming.

Single family homes have driven the recent spike in formal protests. After sitting at 484 protests in 2020, hearings exploded to 1,116 in 2021 and 1,277 in 2022. There were 805 formal hearings for homes in 2023. Commercial properties have traditionally ruled the formal process and have always been on top of homes. In 203, there were 1,424 protests from commercial properties, one of the best years ever for the type. Business property hearings have generally grown steadily over the past decade, unlike the swings seen in homes.

Cameron County ARB Decisions with a ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total	0.929	0.642	0.712	0.813	0.521	0.699	1.086	1.014	1.492	1.073	1.391
Single Family Residential	0.386	0.316	0.394	0.265	0.316	0.302	0.350	0.572	0.725	0.487	0.836
Commercial / All Other	0.543	0.326	0.318	0.548	0.205	0.397	0.736	0.442	0.767	0.586	0.555

Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.

Cameron County ARB Decisions with a Reduction

While it is certainly a harder road to get a reduction through the ARB, it is often worth it. A total of 1,073 appeals resulted in a reduction in 2023, down from the record tally of 1,492 in 2022. Single family homes contributed 487 victories, while commercial properties added 586 to the final sum. Commercial properties tend to see success come in waves, with a pattern of highs and down years. This pattern has been consistent for a decade.

Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Percent
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Reduction	66%	49%	55%	70%	57%	45%	50%	40%	57%	48%	59%
Single Family Residential	81%	99%	69%	80%	60%	88%	72%	51%	57%	60%	75%
Commercial / All Other	58%	33%	44%	66%	54%	33%	44%	31%	56%	41%	45%

Texas property owners should protest annually since To ensure their property taxes are at the lowest possible level.

Percent That Resulted in A Reduction

48% of all ARB hearings resulted in a reduction for taxpayers. This beat the 2021 mark of 40% but fell below the 57% established in 2022. The statewide average in 2023 was 70%. 60% of homes were able to land a reduction, their best result since 2021. Business real estate won 41% of the time, down from 56% in 2022. The statewide average for business properties in 2023 was 59%, so Cameron County was relatively close to the average. Formal hearings had a higher winning percentage than informal appeals in 2023, as only 46.37% of informal protests won. Homes and businesses likewise did better with the ARB than they did informally, showing that the board really is an impartial arbiter.

Value Reduction From Written ARB DeterminationsSource: 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
Total $ Reduction	0.037	0.019	0.028	0.032	0.040	0.173	0.217	0.206	0.195	0.299	0.430
Single Family Residential	0.011	0.007	0.012	0.007	0.010	0.010	0.010	0.059	0.107	0.203	0.141
Commercial / All Other	0.026	0.012	0.017	0.025	0.031	0.163	0.207	0.147	0.087	0.095	0.289

Texas property owners should protest annually since Unequal appraisal allows protests based on neighbors having a better tax assessment.

Dollar Value Reduction from Cameron ARB Hearings

While the number of appeals and victory percentages have certainly bounced all around, the value reduced by formal protests has only gone up annually. The county saw a new record of $803.60 million in taxable value reduced in 2023. This was an improvement over an already astounding $530.80 million from 2022. This was thanks to a massive spike from family homes, which leapt from $233.50 million in 2022 to $442.30 million in 2023. Commercial properties have steadily grown in reduced value throughout the entire decade, culminating in a slashing of $361.30 million in 2023. 2023 was the first year where residential properties were able to overcome business ones.