ARIZONA DAILY STAR:  Sat., Dec. 8, 2007

Tucson lawmaker wants cap on home tax values

By Daniel Scarpinato

 

In the face of skyrocketing home tax valuations, a Tucson lawmaker wants to cap how much the government can raise the value your home.  Rep. Marian McClure, a Tucson Republican, says the tax values on some homes have soared so high residents can’t pay their property taxes. Her legislation would restrict the increase for tax purposes to 3% yearly — far below the 20 to 25% jump some homeowners saw this year.

McClure says her measure is just one of a number of proposals — the rest in the form of citizen initiatives — that will confront governments next year.

“When I’ve got constituents that are literally having to sell their homes because they can no longer afford to live in the home and pay the taxes, something’s got to be done,” she said.

The county is critical of the move, since property taxes are its main source of income.

“I think the counties are necessarily relying heavily on the property taxes, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt by the legislature,” said Martin Willett, chief deputy administrator for Pima County.

Essentially, the tax rate is based on how much money the county needs to cover the annual budget. Higher assessed values theoretically mean the tax rates may be lower, so the government could still be collecting more money.