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Navajo County presents and approves tentative FY 2026-27 budget; property-tax rate held flat
Summary
County staff presented a $258.2 million tentative budget for fiscal 2026-27 that holds primary and secondary property-tax rates flat (rate cited as 0.8114), proposes a 5% total employee compensation increase (3% COLA + 2% merit), funds capital projects including the Winslow levee, and the board approved the tentative budget and scheduled a public hearing June 23.
County budget staff presented the tentative fiscal 2026-27 budget and highlighted key priorities: maintaining financial reserves, capital investments in roads and facilities, technology upgrades, modest new staff additions (including grant-funded health-district positions), and a proposed 5% employee compensation package (3% cost-of-living plus 2% merit). Staff reported a total tentative budget of roughly $258,200,000 across the general fund, special revenue funds, debt service and capital projects.
Key budget points cited in the presentation: the general fund was projected near $72.6 million; special-revenue funds roughly $150.2 million; capital projects about $33 million; a designated reserve of about $11.3 million; and a Winslow levee capital project budgeted at approximately $31.1 million with state appropriations noted. Staff said there would be no increase to the primary property-tax rate (cited as 0.8114) and described the rate as among the lower rates in the state.
Board members praised staff for financial stewardship and transparency. The board moved to approve the tentative fiscal-year budget and to take up the listed special-district budgets in separate board-of-directors sessions; the chair called the vote and the motions were announced as passed in the transcript. Staff noted that the board would hold a public hearing on the adopted budget and a truth-in-taxation hearing for property taxes at the next meeting on June 23.
What comes next: the board will hold the public hearing and truth-in-taxation hearing on June 23, after which the adopted budget and tax rate will be finalized.
