By Supervisor Steve Chucri | The Arizona Republic
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors recently adopted the budget for fiscal 2014. First and foremost, our $2.2 billion general fund operating budget is actually lower than last year’s, by some $89 million. Secondly, it comes with an actual reduction in county-controlled property taxes, roughly $32 million less than what the county collected last year.
Arizona’s economic outlook continues to improve with retail sales, housing values and other key components of our economy on the rise. However, county revenues — more dependent on property taxes — are only marginally higher. There is much to celebrate about Arizona’s continued comeback, but we must remain cautious and responsible when planning for the future.
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