Potter County officials said Tuesday, Jan. 27, during a commissioners court meeting that a clerical error during the certification of the 2025 tax roll will reduce county property tax revenue by about $412,126 this fiscal year, requiring the county to rely on reserves and adjust future budget planning.
The error originated at the Potter-Randall Appraisal District, which failed to apply a mandatory Freeport exemption to a personal property account belonging to Tyson Foods, overstating the county’s taxable value by roughly $70 million.
County Auditor Brandon Boston explained to commissioners that the miscalculation created what he described as “phantom revenue” — money the county budget assumed would be collected but was never legally owed…