It's that time of the year: Some Bexar County homeowners are getting notice of their home's appraised value and wondering if they should protest it.

Why it matters: Navigating the property tax system can be overwhelming. But paying attention to your property's value now can help you avoid surprises when taxes are due later.

Driving the news: Today is the last day to file for a homestead exemption, a deal for people paying taxes on their primary residence.

• May 15 is generally the deadline to protest your property value.

How it works: Assessed property values form the basis for tax bills. Taxes are due by the end of January 2027.

What's happening: The Bexar Central Appraisal District (BCAD) this month sent notices of appraised value to about 196,000 property owners whose values changed by more than $1,000 from last year.

Be smart: Not everyone gets an appraisal notice. Most properties didn't see a large enough change in value this year for the required notice.

• You can still find your 2026 property value online.

What they're saying: "Even if you don't receive a notice, you still have the right to review and protest your property's value," chief appraiser Rogelio Sandoval said in a statement.

Zoom in: To apply online for a homestead exemption, visit bcad.org, go to Online Services and create a login. You'll need a copy of your driver's license.

To protest your property value online, visit the same portal. After you file the protest, you upload evidence — things like photos of the property's condition or repair estimates — on the protest summary page.

• The next step is an informal conference, via phone or Zoom, with an appraiser. You get to tell them why you think your appraised value is wrong. You might reach an agreement at this stage.
• If you don't, a formal Appraisal Review Board hearing, with independent citizens trained to be neutral decision-makers, comes next.

What's next: The city is hosting workshops on how to protest your property value. The next one is 10am Saturday at the San Antonio Food Bank.

The Witte Museum is turning the mirror on itself with a new exhibit dedicated to its century-long history.

Why it matters: The Witte has been a place of discovery and memory-making for generations of San Antonians.

The latest: "The Witte Museum: 100 Years" opened April 11. It "honors the people, collections and curiosity" that built the museum, according to a press release.

Zoom in: Visitors can trace the museum's evolution — from its beginnings in a high school classroom to the opening of the "New Witte" in 2017, which expanded the campus.

• Artifacts, photographs, specimens and archival materials are on display, alongside key stories about the museum's earliest collections, natural history exhibits and the development of beloved experiences like the H-E-B Science Treehouse.

Flashback: The Witte traces its roots to 1923, when schoolteacher and botanist Ellen Schulz Quillin began building a natural history collection at Main Avenue High School with help from her students and the community.

• That grassroots effort grew into a citywide initiative, leading to major funding and the museum's opening in Brackenridge Park in 1926.

What's next: The exhibit runs through Jan. 9, 2027. It accompanies a forthcoming book, "The Witte Museum: 100 Years of Inspiration, Innovation and Resilience" by president emeritus Marise McDermott, expected this fall.

💭 Madalyn's thought bubble: Some of my favorite childhood memories are field trips to the Witte — eating sandwiches in the picnic area, trying to stack the rock wall in the Egyptian exhibit, and seeing how high I could pull myself up in the H-E-B Science Treehouse.

• What are yours? Hit reply to let us know.

Laurel Ridge Treatment Center, a large psychiatric hospital on the North Side, plans to lay off about 648 employees starting June 26 after losing its Medicare and Medicaid funding. (Express-News 🔑)

🏀 Second-round Spurs playoff home game tickets are now on sale. Game dates remain unannounced and purchases are limited to fans within a 150-mile radius. (Spurs)

🚗 4G's Tire & Auto Repair will host a free oil change event 10am-2pm on Saturday in Balcones Heights for customers who bring their own oil and filter. (Facebook)

Friday

🐶 Bring your pup to Cherrity Bar's Doggo's Night Out, a free, pet-friendly evening with vendors, live music and karaoke, plus a $55 pre-booked "Paint Your Pet" class, 7-10pm.

Saturday

🏅 Show off your collection at the Fiesta Medal Heavyweight Showdown at SA Flavor, where collectors compete for the heaviest 2026 medal haul, 10am–1pm.

🐾 Celebrate the inaugural Rockin' Race Day: From Doxies to Derby at The Rock at La Cantera, a free, pet-friendly Kentucky Derby celebration with a dachshund derby race, watch party and themed food and drinks, noon-7pm.

🎶 Sip and dance at Tequila Pop Social at the Japanese Tea Garden, featuring live music, tequila tastings, folklórico, an artisan market and fun extras like a grito contest and "ugly Chihuahua" showcase, 6-9pm.

• Tickets start at $19.32.

🦒 Vertically inclined folks, this one's for you: the Tall Tour takes over Smoke Sky Bar with a height-restricted VIP area, music and more, 6-9pm.

• Tickets start at $25.

🎤 Catch Romeo Santos and Prince Royce live at the Frost Bank Center, 8pm.

• Ticket prices vary.

Sunday

🚴 Play in the street at the rescheduled Síclovía, when Broadway (Mulberry to McCullough avenues) closes to cars for running, biking and walking, 10am–2pm.