Andrew Cook, a current member of the Collin County Appraisal District Board of Directors, filed Aug. 4 to run for a different seat on the same board in the Nov. 3 general election — a race that will determine who governs the district appraising Prosper and Celina homes.
Cook, a Frisco-based consultant who has held the board's Place 3 seat since July 2024, is now seeking the Place 2 seat currently held by Sumbel Zeb. His application was accepted Wednesday, Aug. 5 by filing officer Kim Beane after Cook paid the $400 filing fee by check.
He is the first publicly confirmed candidate for Place 2. The filing window remains open through Monday, Aug. 17, at Collin County Elections, 2010 Redbud Blvd., Suite 102, McKinney.
Why it matters locally
The CCAD board doesn't set tax rates or appraise individual properties. But it hires the chief appraiser, currently Marty Wright, adopts the district's annual operating budget, develops the biennial reappraisal plan and appoints the Appraisal Review Board that hears homeowner protests.
Both Prosper and Celina fall under CCAD's jurisdiction. When CCAD released 2026 certified taxable values on July 23, Deputy Chief Appraiser Brian Swanson told the Murphy Monitor: "We continue to see significant growth in the northern part of the county with Celina and Melissa."
Countywide, certified taxable values hit $280.17 billion this year, up 4.43%, with $7.7 billion in new property added to the rolls. The average home value dipped slightly from $603,190 in 2025 to $588,119 in 2026.
The CCAD's 2026 proposed operating budget totals $33.9 million, with $27.9 million funded by taxing entities including Prosper and Celina, a 0.76% net increase over 2025.
A new kind of election
November will mark only the second time Collin County voters can directly elect appraisal district board members. A 2023 state law (Senate Bill 2) restructured appraisal districts in counties with populations above 75,000, creating three at-large elected seats alongside five appointed members and the county tax assessor-collector as ex officio.
In 2024, all three seats went uncontested. The election was canceled, and Cook, Zeb and Randal Shinn took office without a public vote.
Candidates appear on the ballot without party affiliation. Winners take office Jan. 1, 2027, for four-year terms.
Election timeline
Three seats — Place 1, Place 2 and Place 3 — are on the Nov. 3 ballot. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will be conducted at 2010 Redbud Blvd., Suite 102, McKinney, with branch locations to be announced. Mail ballot applications must be received by Oct. 23.
Prospective candidates can file in person or by mail at the McKinney elections office, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Aug. 17.
