Small Town News

Slight rise in city property tax set for FY 2010-11

---

If you own property in Willcox, you will be paying more property tax next year, now that City Council has taken the second step in the city's budget process.

By a 5-2 vote last Tuesday night, the Willcox City Council adopted primary and secondary tax levies totaling $255,556.

Councilman Woody Johnson and Stephen Klump cast the nay votes.

At its Aug. 16 meeting, the council adopted the fiscal year 2010-11 budget. City Finance Director Ruth Graham called it "a conservative estimate of the estimated revenues and expenses required for the operation of the city, as well as its capital investment needs."

"As a part of the process, the Mayor and Council kept property taxes to a minimum," she said.

While the property tax information was presented at that same meeting, "the adoption of the tax levies was omitted," Graham explained.

"The primary property tax levied on all properties in the city totals $68,917," she said.

"The rate has remained relatively constant for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010, with the 2010 rates at less than the 2008 rates."

"I voted against it due the fact is is a tax increase," Johnson told the Range News later.

"We are still in hard times - this depression or recession - whatever it is. Any type of tax increase, as minute as it is, is too much right now. When is enough enough?"

Johnson said that he has asked city staff for an efficiency study.

"If we ran the city more like a business, could we become more efficient?" he asked.

"Why can't we spend the taxpayer money more efficiently? Those are some of the questions I am asking."

The 2010 primary property tax assessment is $0.3020 per $100 of assessed property value, said Graham, adding that it would be $30.20 for a home valued at $100,000.

For the fiscal year 2009-10 budget, the rate totaled $0.2890 or $28.90; while the rate totaled $0.2999 or $29.99 for the 2008-09 fiscal year budget.

The secondary property tax levied on all properties in the city totals $ 156,639.

"These revenues are used to retire the principal and interest on the city's bond indebtedness," she said.

Like the primary property tax rate, the secondary rate has also remained constant from 2008-2010, and the 2010 rates are less than those of 2008.

The 2010 secondary property tax assessment will total $0.6700 per $ 100 of assessed property value, or $67 for a home valued at $100,000.

For the fiscal year 2009-10 budgets, the rate totaled $0.6556 or $65.56; while the rate totaled $0.7176, or $71.76 for the fiscal year 2008-09 budget.

Graham believes the increase will garner $225,556 in budget revenues.



Copyright 2010 Arizona Range News, Willcox, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 Arizona Range News Willcox, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

More from Arizona Range News