Chandler drops primary property tax rate again

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

After winter and spring Chandler City Council budget work sessions were completed this year, finance staff had been given direction to end the city’s 10-year run of having reduced its primary property tax rate in each cycle.

But after departmental budgets were presented to council and the mayor in a daylong May 1 briefing, staff was given direction to extend that string for one more year.

So while the slightly reduced rate will still mean a small property tax increase total for Chandler owners in fiscal 2027, it’s keeping the tax burden in check as much as it can, as the city is giving up about $253,000 in tax revenue this year by going with the lower rate.

Council unanimously approved the new rate June 25. Fiscal 2027 runs from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2027.

The median value property owner will pay $12.68 more in Chandler primary and secondary taxes in fiscal 2027 than last year. Council had considered leaving the rate flat at $1.1018 but has approved 1.0759.

Property continues to increase in value around Chandler, going up by 3% in full cash value and 5% in limited property value, reports state.

This means the median property in Chandler went up from $440,300 to $453,309 in full cash value in FY27.

Also, voters overwhelmingly approved $475 in municipal bonds last November.

Budget Director Matt Dunbar explained to council at a work session that leaving the property tax rate the same means the city would have needed to go through the state’s Truth in Taxation process, which involves advance newspaper publication notice and a special hearing.

Dunbar also pointed out that city taxes are a small portion of most Arizona property tax bills, with school and fire districts and special districts all featured on the same bill.

Council approved a 15% utility rate increase that went into effect this spring and will likely propose more such annual increases in an evaluation process set to begin in July.

The city’s total assessed valuation is about $4.28 billion. Dunbar explained, during a June 11 meeting, that it’s a 3.8% overall increase from the prior year total assessed valuation — which includes a 2.9% valuation appreciation to existing property as well as 0.9% in new property growth.

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.

Community: He supports animal shelters.