By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

In under five years, the City of Apache Junction has collected more than $4.1 million in sales taxes dedicated to road work.

Recent completed projects include reconstruction of Idaho Road from Lost Dutchman Boulevard to McKellips Boulevard, and crack sealing and street patching of various roadways.

Work to be completed in 2020 includes pavement restoration of Old West Highway from Idaho Road to the U.S. Highway 60 Superstition Freeway, the Apache Junction City Council was told recently.

The City Council on Dec. 2, 2014, approved an ordinance that created a .2% sales tax dedicated to the maintenance, repair and reconstruction of Apache Junction roadways. Collections began March 1, 2015 and the tax sunsets 10 years later, on March 1, 2025, Assistant City Manager Matt Busby said at a recent council meeting.

A total of $4,150,929.20 was collected in fiscal years 2015-19. Revenue by fiscal year (July 1-June 30) is:

• Fiscal year 2015: $267,577.47
• Fiscal year 2016: $805,012.83
• Fiscal year 2017: $787,002
• Fiscal year 2018: $1,122,377.48
• Fiscal year 2019: $1,168,959.42

“As you see, fiscal year 2015 began on March 1, so it only captured a few months of that year. That’s why you see the tremendous jump there in fiscal year 2016 and it continues to increase as people shop and live in Apache Junction,” Mr. Busby said at the Oct. 15 council meeting.

There has been a total of $5,875,472.82 in street projects sales tax expenditures in fiscal years 2014-19, including:

• Fiscal year 2014: $11,000
• Fiscal year 2015: $2,014,256.59
• Fiscal year 2016: $977,346.09
• Fiscal year 2017: $1,131,254.52
• Fiscal year 2018: $1,406,615.62
• Fiscal year 2019: $335,000

“You can probably see that the revenues are not keeping up with expenditures. We anticipated that; we borrow against other funds in the city,” Mr. Busby said.

The $1,724,543.62 difference in expenditures over revenue is from Highway User Revenue Funds, which will be paid back as street-projects sales taxes are collected in the City of Apache Junction, Mr. Busby said.

The current sales tax --- or transaction privilege tax --- rate in Apache Junction is 9.1%, with 2.4% going to the city, 1.1% to Pinal County and 5.6% to the state of Arizona, according to ajcity.net.