Every Collin County voter will see three races for the county appraisal district's board on the Nov. 3 ballot, and only one of them has more than one name.
The Collin Central Appraisal District board oversees the operations and administration of the district that sets the property values local governments use to levy taxes, according to the county elections department. Under a 2023 state law, Senate Bill 2, counties with more than 75,000 people now elect three of those directors.
The races are nonpartisan, every place is elected countywide, and a winner needs more than half the vote. If no one in a race gets a majority, a runoff follows.
Who is on the ballot
The county's final all-race sample ballot lists:
- Place 1: Randal Shinn, alone on the ballot. His filing lists Farmersville and his occupation as real estate broker.
- Place 2: Michael G. Smith and Andrew Cook. Smith's application lists McKinney and his occupation as business manager and CPA. Cook's lists Frisco and his occupation as consultant.
- Place 3: Joe Corcoran, alone on the ballot. His application lists Richardson and his occupation as internal audit manager.
All four filed applications with a $400 filing fee in July and August, according to copies the county posted. The state application form does not ask for a platform, and none of the four filings states a position on appraisals or how the district is run.
The county's appraisal board election page, which says the terms of the positions it lists end Dec. 31, names Shinn for Place 1, Sumbel Zeb for Place 2 and Cook for Place 3. That list does not match the ballot for Places 2 and 3; voters will see the names on the sample ballot.
The county says this is the first time the elected seats appear on a regular November general election ballot after the transition period set by state law.
Voting in Melissa
Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 19, and ends Friday, Oct. 30. A county election notice lists Melissa City Hall's multi-purpose room, 3411 Barker Ave., among the early voting sites, and voters may use any early site in the county. The posted hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
