Former council member raises concerns about 11 houses on Avenue D; council asks staff to investigate

James Ross, identified in the record as a former council member and a La Marque resident, used the public comment period at the Aug. 7 special meeting to present a packet about 11 houses on Avenue D that he said do not match county appraisal records. Ross said his review of tax‑roll entries for 2022–2025 shows apparent changes in lot counts and sales that he said deserve investigation.

Why it matters: Ross urged the council to confirm whether the properties have appropriate subdivisions, building permits and road access and whether the appraisal district and property tax rolls reflect the actual parcel and building counts; if records are incorrect, local revenue and permitting issues could follow.

Ross told council he had assembled a map and deed history for the 11 affected lots and said he believed some lots are listed as multiple houses while county assessor information shows different house counts and lot valuations. He recommended staff review appraisal district records and permitting files to resolve the discrepancies.

City manager Holly said staff would work with the county appraisal district and provide Ross a copy of the packet he brought to the meeting. Councilmembers asked that the item be scheduled for a future agenda for staff report and directed city staff to start the research.

At the meeting's close the council confirmed that staff would place discussion of the Avenue D properties on the Aug. 20 agenda so the city could review Ross' documents and provide preliminary findings.

Ending: Staff was directed to investigate the parcel records and appraisal entries Ross presented and to report back to the council at the Aug. 20 meeting so the council could determine whether further action or referrals are needed.