The Pima County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved budget and tax increases for 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Supervisors Sharon Bronson, Richard Elias, and Ramon Valadez voted in favor of the county budget for next year of $1.17 billion which forces another increase in property taxes.
Rather than hold down costs significantly, the County’s various departments only reduced their expenses by 2 percent.
Pima County residents will have had their taxes raised 28 percent in the past 3 years. Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Administrator’s plan includes an increase of the primary property tax rate of about $.11 per $100 assessed value, an increase of about $.06 in the library district tax, and a $.01 increase in the flood control district tax.
Pima County already had a very high property tax, but continues to buy up expanses of “open space” which results in taking that land off the tax rolls, forcing other properties’ tax burden up.
Supervisor Richard Elias said there’s one caveat. That’s whether the county wins a lawsuit claiming a provision of the state budget unconstitutionally requiring Pima County to pay some of the Tucson Unified School District’s taxes.
After the board adopted the new fiscal year’s budget, the board also passed a resolution that says if the county prevails in its legal action or if the legislature repeals the new law in a special session before the county levies the new tax rate in August, the board will repeal the 11-cent primary property tax increase.
Supervisor Ramón Valadez blamed state legislators for the increase. He said the budget is "not Pima County deciding its own fate, this is the state of Arizona deciding our fate for us.”
Supervisors Ray Carroll and Ally Miller voted against the budget and tax increase. Miller said increasing property taxes will be a blow to the county's economic prospects. "As the County increases taxes...businesses are moving out," she said. "Businesses are not going to come to a county with the highest tax rate and we've seen proof of that by looking at what's going on in Maricopa County versus Pima County," said Miller.
Pima County is home to the fifth poorest metropolitan area in the country.
In addition to the tax increases today, in April, the Pima County Board of Supervisors, in a 4-1 vote (Supervisor Miller, the sole dissenting vote) also approved a resolution to place another tax increasing bond measure on the November ballot.
The measures on the general election ballot include:
- Proposition 425: Road and Highway Improvements
- Proposition 426: Economic Development, Libraries, and Workforce Training
- Proposition 427: Tourism Promotion
- Proposition 428: Parks and Recreation
- Proposition 429: Public Health, Welfare, Safety, Neighborhoods and Housing
- Proposition 430: Natural Area Conservation and Historic Preservation
- Proposition 431: Flood Control and Drainage
On Monday, the ‘Yes on Pima County Bonds”, an independent coalition committed to passing all seven propositions launched with Ray Carroll, and several other supervisors attending. On Monday the campaign co-chairs were announced. They include:
- * Mara Aspinall, former President and CEO, Ventana Medical Systems
* Joseph Blair, Executive Director, Blair Charity Group
* Carolyn Campbell, Executive Director, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
* Larry Hecker, attorney, managing partner, Hecker PLLC
* Lisa Lovallo, Chair, Board of Directors, Southern Arizona Leadership Council
* Edmund Marquez, owner, Edmund Marquez Allstate Agencies
* Tom McGovern, Chairman of the Board, Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
* Nancy Schlegel, President, Reid Park Zoological Society
Visit Yes On Pima County Bonds for more information.
There is also a ‘Vote No on Pima Bonds’ coalition formed, committed to stopping all seven propositions. The coalition group is called Taxpayers Against Pima Bonds. This group argues that the initial $815 Million Bonds adds an estimated $809 million additional costs in interest, operating and maintenance costs, that the County doesn’t include, making the real world costs closer to $1.6 billion, a debt that would be tagged onto the County’s current $1.4 billion estimated debt.
So Caveat Voter, Voter Beware - the County is looking to have more of your money.