The only contested seat on the Collin Central Appraisal District board this fall pits an incumbent board member against a certified public accountant.
Andrew Cook, a real estate consultant who has served on the CCAD board since 2024, is running for the Place 2 seat against Michael G. Smith, a business executive and CPA. Cook currently holds the Place 3 seat but chose to run for Place 2, Community Impact reported Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Place 1 and Place 3 each have a single candidate, Randal Shinn and Joe Corcoran, according to the League of Women Voters of Collin County.
Why it matters locally
The CCAD appraises roughly 449,500 property accounts across 76 taxing jurisdictions in Collin County, including every home in Prosper and Celina. The district reappraises all real and business personal property every year, according to its 2025–2026 reappraisal plan.
The board does not set individual property values. Under the Texas Property Tax Code, its duties include hiring the chief appraiser, appointing the Appraisal Review Board, and adopting the district's budget and biennial reappraisal plan, according to the CCAD website. The district's 2025 adopted budget included 171 full-time employees.
The candidates
Cook said in the Community Impact Q&A that he wants to provide "continuity while strengthening oversight, transparency, and accountability as Collin County continues growing." He listed disciplined budgeting, accountable management and qualified Appraisal Review Board appointments among his priorities.
Smith said he is running to bring financial oversight experience to the board. He said he plans to focus on measurable results including appraisal accuracy, protest and litigation trends, and taxpayer service. Smith said the state Comptroller's Property Value Study should provide early benchmarks after the new term begins.
How to vote
The three publicly elected CCAD board seats were created by the 88th Texas Legislature for counties with populations above 75,000. All three are at-large, meaning every Collin County voter can cast a ballot in each race.
Election Day polling locations for Prosper and Celina residents had not yet been finalized as of the county's election notice; voters should check the county's polling-locations page closer to the election for confirmed addresses. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the election notice.
Applications for mail-in ballots must reach the Collin County Elections office by Oct. 23. Branch early voting locations were listed as to be determined in the May 21 election order. The elections office can be reached at (972) 547-1990.
