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CLIMBING COSTS Breaking down Arizona’s tangled tax laws as many property tax bills on rise CATHERINE REAGOR THE REPUBLIC | AZCENTRAL.COM
I just saw my property tax bill, and it’s up 8 percent from last year. You’ll be getting your bill again soon, too, if you haven’t already. ‘Tis the season for metro Phoenix homeowners to find out what we owe for schools, fire and library districts and other county and city services. Many of us will likely pay more than last year, but not necessarily because our home values are up. You might be lucky and see a smaller increase in your taxes, closer to the average of 5 to 6 percent. Overall, tax levies on property in Maricopa County are up 6.6 percent from last year, according to the Treasurer’s office. That agency is charged with collecting taxes but not deciding what they are each year. And if you aren’t happy with a higher bill, unfortunately it’s too late to appeal.
Complicated and confusing Arizona has property tax system that’s quite difficult to understand, and I say that after covering it for many years. Homeowners would have needed to appeal valuations from the Maricopa County Assessor sent out in February of 2015 to have any chance of lowering their current bill. Tax bills lag property valuations by almost two years. The lag was built in to give homeowners time to appeal, but it was set long before people could do so much quicker online. And tax rates don’t necessarily rise and fall with home values. Some recent propositions and legislation have put some limits on how much property tax bills can climb and have shifted the tax burden between different types of properties. That makes it hard to compare increases from past years and calculate an accurate average increase for Valley homeowners now. “Property tax increases are not capped, but there are limits to how much a district can spend,� Maricopa County Treasurer Charles See REAGOR, Page 3R
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