Apache Junction council approves extending two sales taxes sunsetting in 2025, 2026
Metro Creative Connection
The current sales tax — or transaction privilege tax — rate in Apache Junction is 9.1%, with 5.6% for the state of Arizona, 1.1% for Pinal County and 2.4% for the city of Apache Junction.
Two sales taxes that would otherwise have ended this year and next have been continued by the Apache Junction City Council.
The 10-year continuation of the 0.2% transaction privilege license tax dedicated to public rights of way and the continuation of the 0.2% transaction privilege license tax dedicated to Public Safety Personnel Retirement System expenses were approved in two separate unanimous votes Jan. 21 by the council.
During fiscal year 2024, Public Safety Personnel Retirement System mandatory contributions and unfunded liability debt service payments collectively totaled $3.5 million for public safety offices, while revenue from the 0.2% sales tax dedicated to the same were $2.3 million, according to the draft ordinance.
The council voted unanimously Nov. 5 to direct city staff to draft ordinances for the 10-year continuation of a sales tax for road maintenance and repairs set to expire on March 1, 2025, and a sales tax for public safety retirement system set to expire on Sept. 1, 2026.
“We did the required 60-day fee notice as required by state law and we also at your last meeting brought forward draft ordinances. Tonight is the public hearing for those ordinances,” Assistant City Manager Matt Busby told the council Jan. 21.
No one from the public spoke for or against the continuation of either tax at two public hearings.
Councilmember Tess Nesser spoke before the vote on the 0.2% transaction privilege license tax dedicated to public rights of way.
“I just want to make one comment so the public understands that these are not new taxes. These are just continuation of taxes that we’ve been paying for how long?” she asked.
“We’re looking at 20 years on one and 10 years on the other,” City Manager Bryant Powell said.
“So these aren’t new taxes, they’re not going to be added on to what we’re already paying. Our sales tax won’t go up any more. It’s just going to continue on so we can have this money that we need to operate the city on,” Nesser said.
Following the vote, Mayor Chip Wilson said costs have increased a lot since the last time the council voted on the sales tax for road work.
“We kept the tax still basically being the same; we didn’t go for an increase. So that’s what I wanted to let everybody know, that we’re watching and we’re doing this to keep as much low impact to our community and taxes. But unfortunately we don’t have a magic tree out back here that we can draw and pull $1,000 bills off of,” he said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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