According to a new study from the state Department of Transportation (ADOT), out-of-state bicyclists have an $88 million effect on Arizona every year. ADOT says it’s the first study of its kind. The study also found that approximately 39,000 in-state and 14,000 out-of-state participants are involved in as many as 250 bicycling events held throughout the state, each year. Those include El Tour de Tucson, and out-of-state tour companies that come to Arizona regularly to host bike tours. Professional racing companies also come here to train their teams.

The study specifically focused on the contribution to the Arizona economy from out-of-state visitors engaged in organized bicycling activities in the state, and out-of-state customers, wholesale or retail, of bicycle products made or sold in Arizona.

Arizona has long been known as a great place to live, work, visit, and recreate and we Arizonans enjoy a wide range of climates, topography, and natural beauty. ADOT recognizing its role, as a partner with other state, regional and local departments, commissioned the study. In addition to building highways that facilitate the transport of goods and services as well as the movement of people, ADOT sees itself playing a critical role in tourism and recreation and economic development.

The ADOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program has taken steps to support tourism and economic development. As noted in the study, the activity of bicycling provides environmental, transportation, and health benefits as well as economic benefits to our state.

For the full 119-page study, click here: https://bit.ly/16dW6TA

Richmond American Homes of Arizona (James Gaulin, Director of Land Acquisition) acquired 36 SFR lots at Gladden Farms Block 17 for $1.3 million ($36,500 per lot) in Marana, a community in Northwest Tucson. The finished lots are 65’ x 112’ in this partially built out community. Richmond has constructed 47-homes in Block 8 at Gladden Farms, known as Arbors at Gladden Farms, and with only six lots remaining in that subdivision, moved over to Block 17 to continue building its popular models. The seller was Bell Hollow, LLC (Steve Russo, managing member) of Tucson.

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[mepr-show rules=”58038″]Meanwhile in the South of Tucson, Richmond American bought 39-lots at Sycamore Point for $1.35 million ($34,500 per lot) in Tucson. Located at the southwest corner of I-10 and Kolb Road, Sycamore Point is a new community for Richmond American Homes that will be joining D.R. Horton there. This transaction is the first phase of a two-part option for 84 finished SFR lots. The lots are 40’ x 110’. The developer and seller is West Kolb, LLC and affiliate of R.B. Price Company (Richard B. Price, managing member) of Tucson.

Dan Feig and Aaron Mendenhall with Chapman Lindsey of Tucson handled both of these transactions.

Richmond American is a wholly owned subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc., (NYSE:MDC) a Delaware Corporation based in Colorado since 1972. The homebuilding operations are comprised of many homebuilding subdivisions. Its Financial Services segment consists of HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, which originates mortgage loans mainly for its homebuyers, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc., which offers third-party insurance products to its homebuyers, and American Home Title and Escrow Company, which provides title agency services to the Company and its homebuyers in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Virginia and West Virginia. The Company builds and sells mainly single-family detached homes that are designed and built to meet local customer preferences. The Company is a general contractor for all of its projects and retains subcontractors for land development and home construction.

Richmond American ranked 11 in the top 100 homebuilders for 2012, with 3,740 closing for the year.

Gaulin can be reached at (520) 544-2700. Feig and Mendenhall should be contacted at (520) 747-4000.[/mepr-show]

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[ismember] Sale date on Gladden Farms was 8/6/2013. Sale date on Sycamore Point was 8/13/2013.  [/ismember]

While Pima County Board of Supervisors was voting to approve a tax rate increase to support a $1.2 billion budget on Monday, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to reduce property owners’ tax bills in 2013-2014.

The increase for Pima County residents sets the primary tax rate at $3.66 per $100 of assessed value, a 7.3% increase from the current $3.41 tax rate. While Maricopa Supervisors voted to leave the rate at $1.46 per $100 of assessed value, a move to cut property taxes in Maricopa by $32.9 million. The reduction was made possible by Maricopa Board’s decision two months ago to reduce the general fund budget from the previous year and the most recent calculations showing property valuations on the rise in Maricopa.

Maricopa Board Chairman, Andy Kunasek is quoted in a written release, “What we have done is balance the desire to lower property taxes during a time of lingering economic hardship with the increasing needs of the organization, especially criminal justice and law enforcement. It was a good, sound conservative budget, and it has resulted in another drop in county taxes for our residents. It was not easy, but it was accomplished.”

Maricopa Board of Supervisors vote was unanimously in favor.

Pima County officials say the increase in tax rate is necessary to maintain service levels to residents. However, they also claim the average taxpayer will essentially be paying the same amount as last year given an estimated 8% drop in property values countywide that will offset the 7.3% tax increase. Property tax calculations are based on two-year-old (2010) assessments, set during a low point in the housing market recession.

However, property valuations are on the rise from the most recent reports and up by 12.45% for the first half of the year in Pima County. If the annual bill on a home were based on a value of $159,900 – the current Pima County median price – the increase in County taxes would be about $40. See full story on July residential valuations here: https://realestatedaily-news.com/tucson-home-prices-up-12-45-inventory-low/

The vote at the Pima County Board was 3-2 for the tax rate hike. Ray Carroll (District-4) and Ally Miller (District-1), the two Republicans on the Board, were opposed to the increase.

There are 94 separate taxing jurisdictions within Pima County. Only four are controlled by Pima County and debt service for example on three of those four are lower than a decade ago, at $1.85 per $100. The exception is the Library District. Ten years ago, when the City of Tucson and the County shared costs for the library system, that rate was 21 cents. Since the County assumed full responsibility for the library system in 2006, the rate has increased to 37 cents per $100. Bringing the total debt service to $2.22, that alone is 34% higher than the $1.46 primary tax rate per $100 in Maricopa County.

While Pima County’s primary tax rate increased by 7.3% over the rate from last fiscal year, the City of Tucson’s and the City of South Tucson’s primary tax rates increased by 27.2% and 9.7%, respectively, according to Pima County officials written statement.