Fort Worth is home.

I came to Fort Worth from India as a high school student.

I graduated from Fort Worth ISD and TCU and became a U.S. citizen here. My career later took me to six countries and six states.

About Ambika Sharma

I came to Fort Worth from India as a high school student.

I graduated from Fort Worth ISD and TCU and became a U.S. citizen here. My career later took me to six countries and six states.

My career has been about understanding complex systems and rebuilding them around people, not process.

Graduated from TCU with Bachelors in International Economics, Political Science and Mathematics.

Started as an analyst at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.

I came to Fort Worth from India as a high school student.

I graduated from Fort Worth ISD and TCU and became a U.S. citizen here. My career later took me to six countries and six states.

But during COVID, I came back to Fort Worth to be close to family.

GIVING BACK: FEDERAL TAX ADVOCACY

For four years, I’ve volunteered helping seniors and low-income families prepare their taxes and resolve IRS problems.

I’ve seen how overwhelming government systems can be when you don’t have money to hire professional help.

Ambika Sharma came to Fort Worth from India as a high school student and became a U.S. citizen there. She graduated from high school in the Fort Worth Independent School District and earned a bachelor's degree in international economics, political science, and mathematics from Texas Christian University. She returned to Fort Worth during the COVID-19 pandemic to be close to family and has volunteered for four years helping seniors and low-income families prepare taxes and resolve problems with the Internal Revenue Service.

Ambika works in the financial technology industry and has previous experience in healthcare technology and banking.

2026 Texas General Runoff

Nonpartisan

How do you plan to address these issues?
Go back to annual appraisals. As taxing entities increase tax rates, those higher rates can be difficult to bring down. Annual appraisals keep property values current, ensure taxpayers are treated equally and uniformly and prevent homeowners and businesses from being stuck with outdated values that no longer reflect the market.

Q&A: Meet the candidates running for Tarrant Appraisal District board of directors, Place 2

Two Tarrant Appraisal District candidates spoke in defense of the board’s proposal to raise tax rates. Ambika Sharma said TAD did not impose fair and uniform property appraisals.

“I disagree with the appraisal freezes which … caused downstream impact that created chaos and distress because now you have the agenda item to increase the tax rate,” Sharma said.

Board increases proposed tax rate

WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT?

Tarrant County deserves an appraisal system that is accurate, transparent, accessible and consistent.
1
Accurate appraisals

Use reliable, current market data and sound appraisal practices.

2
Equal and uniform treatment

Taxpayers should be treated consistently and fairly across the county.

Impact

3
A voice for taxpayers

Make TAD easier for ordinary property owners to navigate, from understanding an appraisal to participating in the protest process.

4
Meaningful public input

Public comment should be more than a box to check. Taxpayers should have clear opportunities to understand what the Board is considering, ask questions and provide input before important decisions are made.

Advocates annual appraisals to keep property values current and ensure taxpayers are treated equally.

Aims to use reliable, current market data.

Wants to make the appraisal and protest processes easier for property owners to understand and navigate.

- Advocates annual appraisals to keep property values current and ensure taxpayers are treated equally.
- Aims to use reliable, current market data.
- Wants to make the appraisal and protest processes easier for property owners to understand and navigate.

Administration

Instagram

Ambika Sharma

Buket Urgen

Cary Cheshire

- A board of directors member is an elected official who serves on the governing board of a special district, such as a municipal utility district (MUD).

- The board is responsible for overseeing the district’s operations, finances, and services, including utilities like water, wastewater, drainage, and infrastructure.

- Board members approve budgets, set tax rates or service fees, and make decisions about contracts and infrastructure projects within the district.

- The board ensures that the district complies with state laws and operates under the oversight of agencies such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

- In many districts, the board consists of five members elected by residents. Directors must meet eligibility requirements, including being at least 18 years old, a Texas resident, and either a qualified voter or property owner within the district.

An official who oversees utilities, finances, and services in a district.