Queen Creek council sets primary property tax levy at $14.8 million for FY 2025-26

The Queen Creek Town Council adopted Ordinance 865-25 at its meeting to fix the town's primary property tax levy at $14,800,000 for fiscal year 2025-26, the third year of a five-year property tax freeze.

Deputy Town Manager and Chief Financial Officer Scott McCarty told the council the vote is the final step in the budget process that begins July 1. "The action in front of you tonight is the last step of the fiscal year 25 26 budget," McCarty said, adding the levy pays a portion of police and fire services. He explained the town's property tax yield represents about 8% of the town's operating budget and "equals about 18% of the cost to provide [police and fire] services." McCarty said the town's assessed value has grown roughly 12% this year, driven by the 5% statutory cap on limited property value increases and new construction, producing an assessed value near $956 million used for the levy calculation.

McCarty outlined the council's five-year freeze on the primary levy and its effect on rates: the statutory maximum levy is $1.95 per $100 of assessed value; the council set the levy at $1.55 per $100 for the coming year under the freeze. He described how the freeze works mathematically: as assessed values rise under state law, the town lowers the levy rate so that existing taxpayers generally pay the same dollar amount while new construction generates incremental revenue.

Mayor Wheatley praised the council's multi-year approach. "It really is remarkable, something that we have really fine tuned, over the last few years to be able to do this for our residents," she said. Councilmember McClure moved adoption of the ordinance; Councilmember Benning seconded. Maria, the clerk, called the roll; Vice Mayor Martineau and Councilmember Brown were recorded as voting yes; the mayor announced the ordinance passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance: the council approved Ordinance 865-25 (primary property tax levy for FY 2025-26) by unanimous vote. At the meeting the council also approved the consent agenda in two motions: an initial consent motion that passed unanimously and a subsequent motion for remaining consent items that passed 5-1 (Councilmember Padilla recorded a no vote on that second consent motion).

No additional changes to the levy or to the five-year freeze were made at the meeting. Staff presentation materials described the mechanics of assessed value versus limited property value, the county assessor's role in setting valuations, and the distribution of property-tax dollars to other jurisdictions such as school districts.