Tax Assessor-Collector Rick Barnes is a long-time Tarrant County resident, 5th-generation Texan, devoted family man, and successful business owner. Born in Fort Worth as a "Gladney Baby," Rick was adopted and raised on the South Plains of Texas. He grew up in a loving home where faith, family, education, and the importance of service were instilled at a young age.
Rick graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics, focusing on Finance, and earned a master’s degree from Texas Christian University. He later founded a successful leadership consulting firm and a thriving insurance agency.
Rick served as Mayor Pro-Tem in Keller from 2014 to 2017, championing key issues such as tax reduction, improving ethics and decorum, and playing a pivotal role in Keller's largest year of commercial growth at the time. From 2019 to 2023, he served as Chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party and was also an active member of the Tarrant County Election Commission, where he worked to improve the county’s voting processes.
As Tarrant County’s Tax Assessor-Collector, Rick also serves as a voting member of the Tarrant Appraisal District’s Board of Directors where he was elected Chairman of the Board in January 2025. Barnes is also the Secretary of the Tarrant County Election Commission that is responsible for the appointment of the Election Administrator. In any role, Rick commits to actively representing the interests of the taxpayers.
Rick and his wife, Sheila, have been married for 36 years and attend White's Chapel Methodist Church in Southlake. They are passionate about serving others, volunteering with organizations like The WARM Place, which provides grief support for children.