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El Mirage council adopts property tax levy for fiscal year 2025–26
Summary
The El Mirage Common Council on June 3 adopted Ordinance O25-06-06 setting the city's primary and secondary property tax levies for fiscal year 2025'26; staff said the levy levels reduce the tax burden on existing property owners despite growth in valuations.
The El Mirage Common Council adopted Ordinance O25-06-06 on June 3 setting the city's property tax levies for fiscal year 2025–26. The adoption was the final step staff said was required under the city's budget process and Truth in Taxation procedures.
Deputy City Manager (staff) told the council the item "is the last step in the property tax process. It adopts the primary and secondary." He said the proposed primary levy (the dollar amount to be collected) is $3,276,000 and the secondary levy remains $1,930,000. He also told council that, because of valuation growth, the council reduced the rate charged to current property owners so that, exclusive of new growth, the tax amount paid by existing owners decreased by $299 compared with the prior year.
The deputy city manager also described changes in the combined rate in broad terms, saying the primary and secondary rates taken together represent "a total drop in our property tax rate of about 15¢ overall." Council members asked whether leaving rates unchanged would raise taxes; staff confirmed that without the rate adjustment increased valuations would have raised tax bills for current owners. Vice Mayor Parsons moved adoption of the ordinance; Councilmember Norton McDaniel seconded. The motion passed on an affirmative voice vote.
Why it matters: The levy funds core city functions and voter-authorized debt; staff emphasized the primary levy is earmarked for public safety while the secondary levy pays voter-authorized debt. Council discussion focused on transparency and the effect of valuation growth on individual taxpayers rather than on changes to city service levels.
The council did not direct additional studies or changes tied to this vote. The ordinance will take effect as provided in the ordinance language.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance O25-06-06 (property tax levy for FY2025–26) — motion adopted (voice vote).
Clarifying details reported during the meeting: the staff-reported levy amounts were $3,276,000 (primary) and $1,930,000 (secondary); staff said existing owners' bills dropped by about $299 when excluding new growth; the primary levy is designated for public safety and the secondary levy funds voter-authorized debt.
(Reported from the June 3, 2025 El Mirage Common Council meeting.)
