I hope you are sitting down, as I fear this month’s column may shock you. It’s time for the Pima County Fiscal Year 2026/2027 budget tax-rate approval hearing on Aug. 17, and here’s the news – brace yourself – property taxes are going up.
The primary property tax rate, which is the most significant taxation authority the Board of Supervisors has control over, will be increasing by 7.9 cents per $100 of your home or business property’s assessed value over last year’s rate, resulting in a combined property tax rate (Primary plus Library & Flood Control Districts and Debt Service) increase of 8.74 cents/$100. This is unfortunate because the value of all taxable properties in Pima County has risen.
In years past, the Board would hold the tax rate steady, and blame increased property taxes on the rising property values, as they are determined by the County Assessor. This year, my colleagues could and, in my view, should have explored a revenue-neutral option and lowered the tax rate to offset the increase in assessed property values, keeping your tax bill the same as last year. Instead, there will be a double barrel tax increase in order to pay for programs previously funded by federal pandemic relief monies, and some pet projects.
One such project is “PEEPS”, which stands for Pima Early Education Program Scholarships. PEEPS is really nothing more than enhanced pre-kindergarten day-care for a small, select population at taxpayer expense. PEEPS has had some rather meandering funding sources over the last several years. The Board is contemplating expanding the program, with funding from the Library District tax and other sources (read General Fund/property taxes). Be sure to compare your next Library District Tax line item on your tax bill, compared to last year.
And don’t forget my colleague’s special project to spend $250 million over ten years for taxpayer-funded public housing, paid out of the General Fund with property tax increases and, per the County’s Prosperity Initiative, placed in “low poverty” areas.
Bear in mind these projects and associated tax increases were passed by the Board majority with no county-wide public meetings and negligible public knowledge.
We wonder what happened to the core functions and responsibilities of County Government such as road and infrastructure maintenance and repair, flood control, wildfire protections, public safety, parks and recreation, to name a few.
Adding to this troubling taxation atmosphere is Proposition 425, a Pima County initiative to increase the spending abilities of the Board of Supervisors over the statewide cap that voters approved back in 1980. While the amount has been adjusted for inflation since it was added to the State Constitution, Prop. 425 will allow the Board to spend more of your money. Look for it on the ballot and I’m sure common sense will prevail and that it will not pass. Just what we need right now – another opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to spend more of your money with a simple majority vote.
Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy, District 4
33 N. Stone Avenue, Floor 11
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-724-8094
district4@pima.gov
