Chandler wins Supreme Court water tax, delivery case
Courtesy of City of Chandler
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled this week that Chandler’s agreement with Roosevelt Water Conservation District is valid and enforceable through 2086, meaning the water district must take action, according to a news release.
The city of Chandler announced this week that the state’s highest court has ruled in its favor in one of the longest ongoing water and taxation disputes in the East Valley.
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled this week that Chandler’s agreement with Roosevelt Water Conservation District is valid and enforceable through 2086, according to a news release.
The release calls the ruling a “major win for Chandler taxpayers and the city’s long‑term water security.”
The court heard oral arguments on the case in June 2025 after agreeing to hear it a few months prior.
Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke explained to the Chandler Independent in early 2025 that the district, which has the authority to tax property owners within its boundaries, has been collecting tax revenue without delivering water to some owners.
The dispute between the city and the district dragged on and resulted in some court rulings and appeals.
Hartke, in this week’s release, stated who the city believes will benefit from the ruling.
“Nearly 27,000 Chandler households have paid Roosevelt Water Conservation District property taxes for years without water benefits,” Hartke stated. “That ends with this ruling. Water is a critical public resource, and this ruling restores a key component of Chandler’s 100-year assured water supply.”
The city states that the decision protects taxpayers statewide.
“It ensures that technical time bars cannot easily be used to avoid public contracts and obligations that support essential services like water,” the release states.
Chandler and RWCD entered into the domestic water service agreement in 2002 so that as farmland urbanized, the district’s surface water rights could be converted into treated drinking water for residents, the release states.
From 2002 to 2015, the city purchased more than 40,000 acre‑feet of water under the agreement using a clear, objective formula tied to Salt River Project’s annual surface water allocations.
An acre-foot is enough water to cover 1 acre in 1 foot of water, or about 326,000 gallons.
The 2002 agreement is valid until 2086; the high court’s ruling this week affirmed its validity.
Around 2016, the city states, RWCD stopped honoring the agreement, later claimed it had ended, and refused water orders even as Chandler residents continued paying RWCD $1.7 million in property taxes annually.
“That left the city no choice but to pursue legal remedies,” the city states.
Hartke said last year that he and the city remained open to constructive dialogue with RWCD’s leadership to implement the ruling in a manner that maintains fairness and transparency for taxpayers.
Affected property owners within the RWCD service area are encouraged to stay informed at chandleraz.gov/RWCD and to participate in RWCD Board meetings and elections, which directly shape how the district manages its water and tax responsibilities.
Hartke said he also pushed for legislation that
A 2025 legislative bill — House Bill 2125, sponsored by Rep. Julie Willoughby (R-Chandler) — advanced from the House by a 44-11 vote and was amended in the Senate by Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler), but the bill was eventually held there and never got a full Senate vote.
HB 2125 would have obligated taxing districts, such as the RWCD, to honore and serivce its contracts and agreements, rather than contuing to re-negotiate or walking away.
Hartke said litigation and legislation have become necessary steps because RWCD continues to charge Chandler residents $1.7 million annually in property taxes, while the district is failing to honor its agreement to provide Chandler with water for domestic uses.
From the tax year 2023 to 2024, for example, the total increased from about $1,690,0000 to about $1,702,000, the city states.
Neither RWCD leadership nor any of their attorneys could be reached to answer questions for this story.
The district was formed more than 100 years ago, when irrigating and farming in the East Valley were more prominent parts of both the state’s economy and government work. Dr. A.J. Chandler, the founder of the city, was among the people involved in the RWCD’s formation.
Hartke said last year that negotiations did not lead to RWCD committing to what the city considers a fair price or water quantity, Hartke said.
“I haven’t heard a good reason yet why they shouldn’t,” he said. “It’s just that they don’t want to do it.”
Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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