Volume 4, Issue 3 In God We Trust March 1, 2017

In This Issue:

Motor Vehicle News .......... 4 Property Tax News ............ 5 A Look Back ...................... 6 What’s Been Happening .... 9 KAB ................................... 11 Contact Information and Map of Locations ............... 12

March Dates to Remember: Special Inventory Tax

Due………….………..…..10

Cesar Chavez Day………..27 (all Tarrant County Offices are closed)

Ron Wright

The Wright Stuff

I used to marvel that all three of

my children made it to adulthood,

and nobody was killed or maimed

in the process. I now marvel at

how incredibly intelligent, talent-

ed, and beautiful all six of my

grandchildren truly are. What per-

plexes me is how perplexing my

grown children seem to think child

rearing really is. The problem, I

am convinced, is the adults in the

relationship because the children

are perfect. This, I have discov-

ered from talking to other grand-

parents, is a widespread phenome-

non. It seems that most grandchil-

dren in the world, like mine, are

simply misunderstood by their par-

ents.

I knew when my first grand-

daughter (I have five) was born

that new rules would have to be

adopted, and I settled on the per-

fect one: The only rule at Dad-

dad’s house is there are no rules at

Dad-dad’s house. That was 15

years ago. Nobody has been hos-

pitalized as a result of this rule, and

judging from the stress and frustra-

tion it creates for the parents, it’s

working quite well. Yes, children

and their grandparents have a com-

mon enemy.

Adoption of this

rule, although we

didn’t realize it

would produce

such unanticipated

benefits, has made

Why I’m Smiling

Continued on Page 2

Southwest Office Move

Southwest Branch is CLOSED beginning at noon on March 22, will reopen at 8 am on March 28 at new location:

Hulen Bend 6080 S. Hulen St., Suite 430

Fort Worth TX 76132

Volume 4, Issue 3 Taxing News March 1, 2017

2

The Wright Stuff, Continued grocery shopping much easier. We simply keep

bags of Halloween candy in the pantry year-round.

And soft drinks. And pastries. And, of course, ice

cream. My two-year-old grandson, the youngest of

the grands, knows exactly where in the freezer we

keep the snack-size cups of Blue Bell (told you he

was smart!), but he still requires help from his four-

year-old sister to open the door. He is almost big

and strong enough to do it by himself. We can

hardly wait. At my house, opening the freezer and

grabbing the ice cream without assistance is an

achievement celebrated

like successful potty train-

ing at their parents’ house.

We do our part to edu-

cate the young ones, of

course, and we encourage

them to try new things, like

different types of choco-

late. It’s like donuts. Who

knew there were so many

varieties? Just from spend-

ing time with us, they

learned that dark chocolate

is healthier. They also learned that they don’t have

to worry about it until they’re 40. Eat up.

Planning meals is now as easy as driving through

McDonalds, and yes, there is one close to my house.

That’s why we bought in that neighborhood. Pity

the poor grandparents who didn’t plan ahead and

move near one when grandchildren started being

born. On the other hand, there are other solutions to

child hunger that work just as well without taxing

mind and body. There is a direct correlation, for

example, between the need to actually cook some-

thing and the number of cookies in the house.

Bedtime at eight? Are you crazy? Why do the

parents torture them with these ridiculous sched-

ules? I didn’t torture them that way when they were

children. My daughter used to tell us over breakfast

what the Johnny Carson monologue was the night

before. By 8 o’clock we are just starting the second

or third movie. The education continues. The

grandchildren learned from me early on that fairy

tales are fairy tales. Nothing about them is real.

Better that they be prepared for life in the real

world. That’s why we show them gritty action

movies. Life is gritty, and people should be active.

The new Magnificent Seven? It’s a simple morality

play involving people

who don’t bathe and were

misunderstood by their

parents. Stop crying.

Yes, guns are loud. Get

over it. Here, have some

more popcorn.

My only regret about

the grandchildren is I did-

n’t invest heavily in sugar

plantations when the first

one was born. I would be

rich today. It is my re-

sponsibility – no, it is my mission – as a grandpar-

ent to give them all the sweets they can hold with-

out throwing up in the house, although throwing up

in their parent’s car on the way home would be fine.

If the grandchildren are glassy eyed and trembling

from all the Cokes they drank when their parents

pick them up, I know I have done my job.

So, if you see me smiling when I walk the halls

of the office it’s probably because I love my job.

But it may be because I know that in the long, bruis-

ing psychological warfare between parents and

grandparents for the hearts and minds of the grand-

children, I have beaten them once again.

Ron Wright

DadDad and Annabel

3

Motor Vehicle Titles

Processed

40,209 Property Tax

Accounts Paid

72,933

Property Tax Amount

Collected

$314,134,539

Motor Vehicle Registrations

Processed

124,268

Tax Office Stats

for

February 2017 Phone Calls

Received

18,470

This month’s question: Where was the last battle of the American Civil War fought?

Email your answer to tax-sdc@tarrantcounty.com

Newsletter Noncents

DID YOU KNOW? You can request Ron Wright to speak to your group by emailing

Tax-SDC@tarrantcounty.com. Be sure to include the name and date of the event along with your

contact information.

Our Vision:

We are a professional team of positive and dedicated individuals who serve with integrity, tenacity, and compassion in an innovative and inclusive environment.

Mission Statement

We will serve the citizens of Tarrant County with pride, courtesy, respect, and determination.

We will achieve excellence in what we do by providing accurate, efficient, and timely service consistent with the

laws of the State of Texas and the highest ethical standard.

Staff Development Day

May 10, 2017

All Tax Office branches will be closed for a day of

skill building, training, and inspiration.

DON’T MISS IT!

Volume 4, Issue 3 Taxing News March 1, 2017

4

Amber Wilson TxDMV Regional Service Center Manager

Motor Vehicle News

Dorothy Starr, MV Director

We are more than half way through the Tex-

as Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) com-

puter equipment replacement “refresh” program.

When you come into the Tax Office to perform a

motor vehicle transaction the computer we work on

belongs to TxDMV. It is a requirement of TxDMV

that equipment be updated and replaced on a 4 to 5

year cycle. The project requires the sys-

tem to be taken down while the equip-

ment is replaced and updated. Our office

was notified that the project would begin

in December. TxDMV was open to us

waiting to start until February so we

could start after the busy property tax

season. To avoid our customers being

inconvenienced by closing of offices for

the refresh we elected to work on Satur-

days to get this project completed.

As of February 27 we have com-

pleted the Southlake, Southwest, Arling-

ton, Downtown and Northeast offices.

Out of 157 computers and printers we

only have 37 to go!! We will complete

Mansfield and Poly on March 4th and

Northwest on March 11.

I was here way back in 1995 when the first

Registration and Titling System (RTS) computers

were installed. Now in 2017 we are working on our

4th refresh of new equipment. Looking back over

all of these equipment installs this one by far has

been the best. TxDMV has really organized the

whole process. They were open to changing all of

our install dates to Saturdays.

Excellent communication re-

garding dates of shipments,

installation and old equipment

pick up. A booklet outlining

each step of the way along

with contact information was

provided.

Icing on the cake has

been Amber Wilson, manager

of our local TxDMV Regional

Service Center. Either she or

members of her staff have

been at each of our locations

during the installs. She has

been 100% committed to our

needs and has fixed any small

problem we might have had.

2017 TxDMV Registration and Titling System Equipment Refresh

REMINDER TO INSPECT THEN RENEW:

Vehicles which do not receive a commercial inspection: Registration permitted if a passing vehicle

inspection occurs in the 90 days (3 months) prior to the month vehicle’s registration sticker expires.

5

Property Tax News

Elisa Hand, PT Director

Quarter Payments for Homeowners

Who are Disabled or Over 65 Years of Age

For many years property owners who have a Disabled Homestead Exemption or an Over-65 Home-

stead Exemption on their property have been able to pay their property taxes in four equal installments.

The next deadline is at the end of this month!

First payment of ¼ of the total amount due must have been paid on or before January 31

The remaining three payments will not incur penalty and interest if they are made on time as follows:

Second payment to be paid on or before March 31

Third payment to be paid on or before May 31

Fourth payment to be paid on or before July 31

For more information on Disabled and Over-65 Homestead Exemptions, as well as other exemptions

you may qualify for, contact Tarrant Appraisal District at 817-284-4063.

Volume 4, Issue 3 Taxing News March 1, 2017

6

A Look Back….. By Ron Wright

Bullets Fly in the Courthouse

When county Facilities Direc-

tor David Phillips stood in a

meeting of Commissioners

Court in 2011 to give an update

on the repair and restoration of

the clock tower of the historic

county courthouse, the twinkle

in his eye and wry grin did not

go unnoticed. He had just

reported that the holes in the

century-old copper cladding, a

piece of which he had brought to

the meeting, were in fact bullet

holes.

County employees found the

news of bullet holes in the

copper dome of the courthouse

to be more humorous than

surprising. Part of the joy of

living in Tarrant County is the

rather devious pride we take in

our county’s wild and wooly

past. The first Anglo settlement

in the county, Bird’s Fort in

present-day Arlington, was a

frontier fort built by Rangers.

The county seat, Fort Worth, had

also begun as a military fort.

The county had been home to its

share of Indian battles and raids.

Cattle drives had gone right

through Fort Worth, bringing a

swarm of thirsty cowboys and

ruffians to the town’s saloons.

Brothels and gambling houses

had thrived within walking

distance of the courthouse.

Outlaws had found shelter here,

and there were numerous gun-

fights and other assorted shoot-

ings throughout the county for

much of its history. Tragically,

some occurred in the county

courthouse and courtrooms in

other buildings in just the last 35

years.

In one six year period, from

1986 to 1992, four instances of

armed conflict occurred in or

near courtrooms, prompting the

installation of the security

measures we have today. Three

resulted in shooting deaths. In a

fourth instance an accused felon

held a loaded gun to a judge’s

head, but didn’t fire. The most

famous shootings were in the

county courthouse.

In 1989 bail bondsman

Manny Cabano took his girl-

friend, Juanita Hermosillo, a

county court-at-law clerk,

hostage for several hours inside

the courthouse. The standoff

ended when Cabano shot and

killed Hermosillo and then

himself. The county sheriff at

the time, Don Carpenter, was

widely criticized for not relin-

quishing operational control to

professional hostage negotiators

from the Fort Worth Police

Dept. According to subsequent

reports, Carpenter was casually

heating a plate of fried chicken

in an office down the hall when

the fatal shots rang out. Before

he completed his term in office

the sheriff was forced to step

down after twice being indicted

by separate grand juries for

offenses unrelated to the shoot-

ing.

In 1992, the most famous

courthouse shooting of all

occurred when former lawyer

George Lott opened fire in the

fourth floor courtroom being

used by the 2nd Court of Ap-

peals. Upset with a family court

verdict that had gone against

him in his divorce and child

custody proceeding, Lott later

said he shot people that day to

draw attention to the inequities

and failures of the judicial

Source: http://home.earthlink.net/~numeraire/Loopholes/loopholesprotectlawyers.htm

7

A Look Back, cont... system. When he finally

stopped shooting, two lawyers,

including Chief of the Appellate

Division for the Tarrant County

D.A.’s office, Chris Marshall,

and Dallas lawyer John Edwards

lay dead. Two Justices, John

Hill and Clyde Ashworth, and a

third lawyer, Steve Conder, were

also shot, but survived their

wounds. In a show of sheer cold

bloodedness, Lott had pursued

Edwards out of the courtroom

and shot him repeatedly on the

stairwell between the second and

third floors. Lott then drove to

Dallas and turned himself in at a

TV studio.

Realizing the huge emotional

impact the shooting had on the

people of Tarrant County, and

determined that Lott would have

a fair trial, the state district judge

chosen to preside over the case

ordered a change of venue to

Potter County where she had

grown up. Lott was tried in

Amarillo, found guilty, and

executed for his crimes in 1994

in Huntsville. The judge who

presided over the trial was

Sharen Wilson, now the Crimi-

nal District Attorney for Tarrant

County.

Not all courthouse shootings

ended so tragically. One was

even considered comical – after

it was over. Part of what was

comical was the shooter herself

and the absolutely unflappable

response of the judge she tried to

shoot.

Mary Rea, a slightly un-

hinged woman, was no stranger

to the 17th District Court or to

Judge James Swayne, one of the

most respected judges in county

history. She had been a defend-

ant in lawsuits in his court and

had become increasingly angry

with his rulings and openly

hostile to him personally. Still

angry with Swayne over a

previous case, she had all she

could stand when he ruled

against her again in a family

dispute in 1914. Swayne sought

to explain his ruling, not from

his bench, but casually sitting at

eye level in the jury box when

Rea pulled out a handgun and

began firing in his general

direction. One bullet hit the wall

just above his head.

Author Richard Selcer de-

scribed the scene in his book,

Fort Worth Characters,

“She managed to empty the

pistol before her lawyer could

wrestle her out of the courtroom.

Fortunately, all of the shots went

into the wall or ceiling, but

Swayne demonstrated nerves of

steel during the melee. He kept

his seat, not even flinching as the

bullets flew. The next time

Swayne saw Mary Rea was

when he was called as a material

witness at her trial for attempted

murder. She was found guilty,

but served no time and, insofar

as the record shows, never

bothered Swayne again.”

Rea was as strong as she was

feisty. According to other

reports, the wrestling match

between her and her lawyer

extended all the way to the

rotunda where sheriff’s deputies

helped the lawyer subdue his

screaming, clawing client, much

to the amusement of bystanders

in the courthouse.

James W. Swayne

Source: Written in Blood Vol. 1, by Richard F. Selcer and Kevin Foster

Volume 4, Issue 3 Taxing News March 1, 2017

8

The Fundraising and

Charitable Employees (FACE) Committee, also

known as “The FACE of the Tax Office,” has

selected Hope Center for Autism as this year’s

fundraiser. Tax Office employees have several

opportunities to support the FACE fundraisers

throughout the year. Fundraisers scheduled this

year include paying to wear jeans and tennis shoes,

popcorn sales, and a 50/50 drawing at the end of the

year. Additional fundraisers could be added through

the year.

Members of the committee include Mark Butler,

Chair; Charlotte Tackett, Secretary/Treasurer;

Shonda Johnson, Cierra Hernandez, Sonia Reyes,

Denise Lindsey, Alicia Herrera and Beckie

Fernandez. The committee meets at least twice

annually to discuss business.

Last year, the FACE Committee presented a

check to the 2016 fundraiser Safe Haven of Tarrant

County. Barb Reese, In Kind Donations

Coordinator, accepted a $7000 donation on behalf of

Safe Haven. Once again, our 2017 goal is $5000.

We hope to meet or exceed our goal. Contact our

FACE committee members if you would like more

information on how you can help, or contact Hope

Center for Autism directly. We look forward to

presenting a donation to Hope Center for Autism on

behalf of Tax Office employees in December 2017.

Barb Reese, center, accepts $7,000 donation from

Tarrant County Tax Office FACE committee in December.

F.A.C.E. Committee Selects Hope Center for Autism

The mission of the Hope

Center for Autism is to

enable children on the

autism spectrum and their

families to live more fully

functional lives.

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASDs)

have serious impairments of social, emotional, and

communication skills. Autistic disorders cover a

broad spectrum; ranging from verbal to non-verbal,

from the affectionate to the emotionally distant,

from the methodical to the disorganized, and from

the gifted to the severely challenged. ASD occurs

in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and

is four times more likely to occur in boys than girls.

The Hope Center for Autism believes that

autism is a recoverable disorder, with intense early

intervention being vital to the recovery process.

They also believe that in order to successfully teach

a child within a group setting, such as a school

classroom, you must first teach them how to be part

of a group.

They consider troubles a joy, because troubles

produce patience; patience produces character; and

character produces hope.

Source: http://www.hopecenter4autism.org/about/

9

Above: Tyler Reainthong, IT Support Specialist who

supports tax office operations, won the ITD Peak

Performance Award for “exceptional” performance. Janie

Zhao, ITD Manager who nominated Tyler, stated that “He is

very responsive and always delivers exceptional quality.”

What’s Been Happening...

The blue comment cards are an important tool for

letting your Tax Assessor-Collector, Ron Wright,

know how we are doing in all of the offices.

Please complete a card at your next visit. The

office with the highest percentage of positive

comment cards each quarter wins the coveted

Customer Service banner to display in their office

for the next quarter!

Above: Members of the Property Tax Research/Assessment team

celebrated Fat Tuesday in style! Richard, Joe, Kirby, Maggie and

Shonda are behind those colorful masks!

Below: Employees are getting ready to embark on a tour of

the 1985 Courthouse on February 24. Ron Wright led the

tour. Pictured here with Wright are, left to right, bottom to

top: Nguyen Quyen, Vanneary Glenn, Kim Jayme, Erika

Fitchett, Kayla Justice, Gabriela Calderon, and San Juana

Ortiz.

If you would like to participate in the next tour, email

cjtackett@tarrantcounty.com.

Volume 4, Issue 3 Taxing News March 1, 2017

10

New Employees

Michelle Biondo-Nava Motor Vehicle

Specialist

Justin Bowles Part Time Motor Vehicle

What’s Been Happening...

Above: In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, mem-

bers of the Collections Group show their love.

Pictured here are, left to right, Amelia, Sandra,

Beckie, Annette, Samantha, and Mandi. They

are known for showing the love everyday as

they help taxpayers across the county with

online, face to face, and mailed in payments.

Kayla Justice Customer Service Rep.

San Juana Ortiz Motor Vehicle

Specialist

Gabriela Calderon Motor Vehicle

Specialist

Moving Up!

Elvia Martinez was

recently promoted to

Customer Service

Supervisor after working

as a Customer Service

Representative for the

past 3 years. She and her husband recently

welcomed home baby Mia. Martinez has a

Bachelor’s Degree in Government and has

previously worked in lead customer service

positions before coming to the Tax Office.

Congratulations Elvia!

11

These employees to be honored in Commissioners Court in March for their years of service:

Gina Kay Mashai………….20 years Juana Garnett…………......10 years Mary Red Eagle………….10 years Stefani Flores………….…..5 years Carina Hernandez………...5 years

Duncan Hughes…………...5 years

Elizabeth Weaver .............. 1

Yessica Osornia ................. 3

Mackenzie Hein ................ 3

Nicole Davis ...................... 3

Donna Williams ................ 4

Kirby Tibbit ....................... 5

Angel Rodriguez ............... 6

Janice O’Neal .................... 7

Kelly Starks ...................... 10

Bradley Mena ................... 13

Cassandra Lester ............... 15

Sherry Adcock .................. 15

Tina Horton....................... 19

Janice Davis ...................... 19

Mandi Chance ................... 21

Elvira Simpson ................. 22

Donita Tilley .................... 22

Nancy Box ......................... 23

Cristina Gallagher ............. 23

Leticia Garcia .................... 24

Enrique Castaneda ............. 24

Twyonia Taylor ................. 27

Dorothy Starr ..................... 29

Elvia Martinez ................... 29

Customer

service is not

a

department,

it’s

everyone’s

job.

Melissa, DT PT: “Thanks for understanding and kindness…”

Jayne, DT MV: “She was patient and exceptional!”

Crystal, SW: “...polite, happy and very helpful.”

Estella, Southlake: “...amazing and very helpful. Super sweet lady.”

Sonia, NW: “...very helpful...she was patient and very sweet and helpful.”

Trylisha, NE: “Fast, friendly and informative! Nicest lady ever!”

Volume 4, Issue 3 Taxing News March 1, 2017

12

Main Office Building

100 East Weatherford St.

Fort Worth, TX 76196

Phone: 817-884-1100

Arlington

700 E. Abram St.

Arlington, TX 76010

Phone: 817-548-3935

Mansfield

1100 E. Broad St.

Mansfield, TX 76063

Phone: 817-473-5127

Northeast

645 E. Grapevine Highway

Hurst, TX 76054

Phone: 817-581-3635

Northwest

6713 Telephone Rd. Rm. 101

Lake Worth, TX 76135

Phone: 817-238-4435

Poly

3212 Miller Ave.

Fort Worth, TX 76105

Phone: 817-531-5635

Southlake

1400 Main St. Suite 110

Southlake TX 76092

Phone: 817-481-8141

Southwest (beg. 3/28/17)

6080 S. Hulen Street, Ste 430

Fort Worth, TX 76132

Phone: 817-370-4535

Tarrant County

Tax Office Locations

Hours: Monday—Friday

8:00 am—5:00 pm

CONTACT US

817-884-1100

Email Property Tax Department

at:

taxoffice@tarrantcounty.com

Email Motor Vehicle

Department at:

mvt@tarrantcounty.com

Questions about the newsletter may

be directed to

Vickie Doane at

Tax-SDC@tarrantcounty.com

Email Tax-SDC@tarrantcounty.com to subscribe to our monthly newsletter distribution list.

Visit our website at:

www.tarrantcounty.com

Registration renewals may be

purchased at AAA at Alliance and your

local Fiesta, Kroger, and Tom Thumb

stores in Bedford, Hurst, Keller, Mansfield,

Southlake, Arlington, Grapevine, and Fort

Worth.

Check our website for a list of locations

at www.tarrantcounty.com.

Be sure to bring your renewal notice,

proof of insurance, proof of vehicle

inspection and an acceptable form of ID

such as a Texas Driver’s License or ID

card.

Watch for update to map in April issue showing the new Southwest branch temporary location.