Coconino County adopts $443 million tentative FY26 budget ceiling; several district budgets also adopted

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors adopted a tentative FY2026 countywide budget setting an expenditure ceiling of $443,009,427 and separately adopted tentative budgets for several county special districts, including the Flood Control District, Health Services District, Jail District, Library District and the Tusayan Special Street Lighting District.

Siri Mullaney, presenting the budget schedules, told the board that the tentative adoption establishes the maximum amount the county may expend next fiscal year and that final adoption will follow public notices and public hearings required by state law. “The tentative adoption…sets the expenditure ceiling for the county,” Mullaney said, adding that the county expects a decline in federal funding that contributes to a smaller total compared with last year.

Board members also adopted the statutorily required fire district assistance tax budget, $2,429,300, which Mullaney described as a pass-through secondary tax collected countywide and distributed to fire districts under state law; she noted the statutory maximum tax rate is 10 cents per $100 of assessed value. The board separately adopted tentative budgets for the Coconino County Flood Control District ($47,710,993), Public Health Services District ($21,243,486), Coconino County Jail District ($57,882,760), Library District ($7,498,506) and the Tusayan Special Street Lighting District ($15,000).

At least one supervisor said the legally required schedule of totals was provided to the board but requested more time and clearer packet access to review the detailed line items before final adoption. Supervisor Judy Begay said she had not been able to open the detailed schedules and asked for printed copies; she registered an abstention on the county tentative budget motion citing the need to review the line-item schedules prior to final adoption. Mullaney and the county manager said departments had presented detailed budgets to the board during prior budget hearings and that the schedules before the board follow Arizona Auditor General formatting required by state statute.

The board was reminded that tentative adoption is step one: staff will publish legal notices, hold truth-in-taxation and public hearings, and return for final adoption in June. County staff encouraged the public to review posted schedules and to submit questions before the final hearing.

Budget approvals recorded on June 3 are tentative ceilings only; the board retains discretion to amend budgets before final adoption following the public notice process.