On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.42 billion budget for fiscal year 2021. The supervisors set the primary property tax rate at $3.9220, which result in a tax increase for most property owners.
In what was considered a maneuver to head-off the outrage that would surely follow the tax increase, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry included $50 million in the budget for road repairs. The money comes from mortgaging County buildings through Certificates of Participation, and a combination of State-shared revenues called Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF), and remaining local road repair funds from Fiscal Year 2017/2018.
Supervisor Ally Miller was the only official to question Administrator Huckelberry’s scheme.
“We need to be clear and we need to be honest with the public,” said Miller. “That 17 cent rate reduction is a result of the voters of this community saying, ‘no, we’re not going to approve any more bonds. We’re not going to approve any more debt.’ That’s why that rate goes down 17 cents.”
Miller’s colleagues ignored her pleas to set a tax rate that would essentially neutralize the effects of increased property valuations. Had they heeded her call; the County’s budget still could have increased without increasing taxpayers’ burdens.
The proposed budget, which will go into effect July 1.
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