The Pima County Board of Supervisors passed a tax increase and a $1.16 billion budget for fiscal year 2016 on Tuesday. The increase translates to $30 more a year for the average cash strapped Pima County homeowner.
Just last year, the Board of Supervisors raised the tax rate 17 percent.
Supervisor Ally Miller, who voted against the increase, attempted to get her fellow Board members to consider cost-saving measures, but to no avail. With the votes from Sharon Bronson, Ramon Valadez, and Richard Elias secured in favor of the increase, Supervisor Ray Carroll was allowed to join Miller and vote against the measure without putting it at risk.
Although the County will be receiving 8 percent more in HURF funds this year, County administrator Chuck Huckelberry rejected Miller’s request to allot more money for road preservation.
The supervisors also approved a contract with the City of Tucson for animal care services with the city of Tucson.
Supervisor Carroll, a Republican, played politics when he joked that if he were interested in partisan politics he would quibble over the fact that the County had to waive a disputed debt of $472,000 owed by the democratically controlled City of Tucson.
Carroll chomped on snacks and played with papers as members of the Pima County Deputy Sheriff Association addressed the Board during the Call to the Audience.
The deputies said that they had not seen a raise in anything but their property taxes for nearly seven years. Association members told the supervisors that due to the low wages, their families qualify for public assistance.
Huckelberry joined Carroll in shuffling through papers and avoiding eye contract with the deputies as their stories brought some attendees to tears.
The supervisors have argued that increases in property tax rates do not cost property owners more money in the long run because the valuations have decreased. However, numbers recently released by the County Assessor’s office show that not only has the tax rate increased, but so have valuations:
| District | Median Time- Adj Sales | Median % Change |
| Southern – Avra Valley | $187,003 | 0% |
| Marana – Avra Valley | $155,767 | 8% |
| Tortolita Foothills | $224,560 | 7% |
| Oro Valley – Catalina | $269,973 | 3% |
| Near Northwest | $191,674 | 9% |
| Catalina Foothills | $416,500 | 3% |
| North East | $275,000 | 9% |
| Far East | $179,884 | 10% |
| North Central | $171,400 | 9% |
| Flowing Wells | $122,900 | 13% |
| Tucson Mountain Foothills – S | $219,749 | 10% |
| Tucson Mountain Foothills – N | $185,000 | 7% |
| University | $232,032 | 5% |
| South Central | $139,995 | 9% |
| Near East | $133,655 | 6% |
| South Tucson – Airport | $101,470 | 12$ |
| Midvale – Drexel Heights | $139,912 | 12% |
| Green Valley – Altar Valley | $175,241 | 4% |
| Vail | $212,339 | 8% |
| Santa Rita Foothills | $198,172 | 6% |
| Central Business | $212,255 | 20% |
| Ajo | $82,571 | 12% |