Supervisors approve budget; tax rate lowered for second straight year

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved the fiscal year 2007/2008 budget of $475 million.

The finalized budget is over $23 million lower than the tentative budget of $498,423,255, originally approved in July.

The budget reflects strategic planning done by the Supervisors relative to Pinal County services in the upcoming year. Those plans include: customer service, ensuring safe communities, protecting public health, providing cost effective services, financial stability of the county and offering a quality workforce to the taxpayer.

Over 77 percent of property taxes in this year’s budget will go to the courts and public safety. A total of $58.9 million will be spent on adding more personnel for the sheriff’s dispatch, adding a family law commissioner, more Conciliation Court staff and additional advocates for the County Attorney’s office.

The tax rate will be lowered for a second straight year. The primary property tax will be set at $4.0183, a decrease of over 28 cents from last year’s rate. In fact, the property tax is the lowest in Pinal County since 1982.

Photo by Joyce Hollis