Supervisors last week approved the 2024 Maricopa County budget, cutting the tax rate for the third straight year and allocating 50% of the spending plan to public safety.

The board voted unanimously for the budget on June 26, lowering the county’s primary tax rate from 1.25 to 1.2. The owner of a $100,000 home, for example, who had been paying $125 will pay $120.

County officials pointed out that while rising property values are outside of the board’s control, state statute gives supervisors the ability to set the property tax rate.  

The board is cutting the overall county budget by 2.6% from fiscal year 2023, according to a release. 

“While we are careful about following our mandates, this board realizes there are urgent needs in our community and so we have focused on spending where it will truly make it difference: providing housing, providing job opportunities, and protecting public safety,” Clint Hickman, the board’s chairman, said.

The budget includes $494 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, which Congress allocated to aid in recovery from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  ARPA funds have been spent on affordable housing projects, public health and job creation, according to the county.

Fifty percent of the budget is allocated to public safety with the county attorney’s office adding 21 positions and the sheriff’s office adding 46 for security officers who will do additional screenings in jail for drugs, including fentanyl, the release state.

“Government’s core job is protecting public safety, and right now, we have a community crisis when it comes to fentanyl,” District 2 Supervisor Thomas Galvin said.

Long-term infrastructure projects in the budget include multi-million dollars investments in regional parks, a new downtown office building to move the Public Health and Human Services departments out of leased space and a new animal shelter in the East Valley.

In recent years, the county has been at the center of election challenges, and one capital project is the renovation of the main elections operations building.

The budget also includes $10.1 million to fund the Presidential Preference Election and prepare for the primary and general elections, plus an additional $9 million in contingency to replace certain ballot-on-demand printers that serve voting centers.

“Democracy is worth every penny,” District 5 Supervisor Steve Gallardo said.

“We are providing the financial resources necessary to support our elections staff so that they can continue to administer secure, fair and accurate elections.”

The new budget marks the second consecutive year that the county will pay down unfunded pension liabilities.  

The board has directed $190 million from the 2024 spending plan into the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System and Corrections Officer Retirement Plan.

“By investing wisely in people, in infrastructure and in paying down pension debt, we will be able to meet not only today’s needs but tomorrow’s challenges,” said Jack Sellers, the board’s vice chairman and District 1 supervisor.