The Pinal County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday adopted a tentative $373 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year of 2013-14.
The document presented to the board by County Manager Fritz A. Behring, reflected budget numbers based on priorities set by the supervisors in public meetings that began in February. Key priorities included:
No increase to the property tax rate. Property taxes for the coming year are based on real estate sales from 2010 and 2011 when property values were still declining. The county will collect about $7 million less in property tax than last year. The county portion of a homeowner’s tax bill is approximately 27 cents of every dollar. The remainder is made up of schools, the community college district and special taxing districts.
Funding for Phase two of Hunt Highway completion.
Extension of Ironwood/Gantzel Road.
Continuing to surface more dirt roads and carry out pavement preservation projects throughout county.
The majority of expenditures with the upcoming budget are in the public-safety sector at 63 percent.
The final budget, which will be adopted at a future meeting, can be the same as what was presented Wednesday or the supervisors could vote on a lower budget. By law, the adopted budget cannot be higher than the tentative budget presented.
Meanwhile, A proposal from the Pinal County Attorney’s Office to spend $100,000 on increased court security provided by the Sheriff’s Office did not pass at the May 29 meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
The proposal died due to lack of a motion from the supervisors.
Roger Valdez, justice of the peace in the Casa Grande Justice Court, said he preferred to pay for increased security through court enhancement fees because receiving $100,000 in money seized from criminal operations, or RICO, through the Attorney’s Office was contingent upon having Pinal County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the courtrooms.
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