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Navajo County adopts $246.6 million budget, holds property tax rate flat
Summary
The Navajo County Board of Supervisors adopted a $246.6 million final budget for fiscal 2025-26 and approved property tax rates for county and special districts while keeping the county—s primary rate flat at 0.8114; officials said the increase in collections is driven by property valuation growth and new construction.
Navajo County supervisors on [date of meeting as recorded] approved the county—s final fiscal 2025-26 budget and authorized property tax rates for county and component districts.
The board adopted Resolution 23-2025 to set the county—s total budget at about $246.6 million, including a $68.4 million general fund, $140.6 million in special revenue funds, $2.3 million in debt service and $35.1 million in capital projects. Jason Bauch (presenting budget materials) told the board the budget reflects a 3.3% overall decrease from the prior year, with public safety and criminal justice remaining significant shares of the general fund. The county budget includes a proposed 2.5% across-the-board adjustment for employees and funding set aside for the Winslow levy and a Taylor facility for the medical examiner—s office.
In a separate truth-in-taxation presentation, county staff said the county will keep its primary property tax rate flat at 0.8114 for 2026. The staff calculation showed a $458,270 increase in levy capacity from 2025 to 2026, principally because of higher residential valuations and new construction; staff emphasized that keeping the rate flat means the increase is caused by valuation growth, not a higher rate. The presentation included an example homeowner whose total annual county and secondary-district increase would be roughly $12.75, or slightly more than $1 per month.
Board members discussed jail district sales-tax revenue trends, pension debt refinancing savings and one-time state and federal funding that have affected recent budgets. After public hearings with no public speakers, the board approved the budget and authorized the treasurer to apply district tax rates to the tax roll.
The budget adoption establishes contingency reserves and capital allocations while continuing the county—s broadband and regional projects, and supervisors said they will continue to monitor one-time grant funding as state and federal programs evolve.
