By Gary Nelson | The Arizona Republic
A proposed increase in Mesa’s city property tax may not be a slam dunk in this year’s budget discussions.
Vice Mayor Alex Finter told the city council this week that he wants another way to balance the budget besides an overall $2.2 million hike in the property tax that Mesa uses to pay general-obligation bond debt.
The increase, which would add about $10 a year to the bill of an average-value home, was among the proposals set out by City Manager Chris Brady as the deadline for a 2013-14 spending plan approaches.
Brady’s plan includes not only the property tax hike, but 2 percent increases in water, sewer and residential trash-pickup rates.
Utility rates can be something of a moving target in city budget projections.
