Congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza is staying silent on new allegations against her fellow Democrat, Sen. Ruben Gallego.
Gallego has been accused of engaging in sexual relationships with at least two congressional staffers which were believed to have occurred between his two marriages. These allegations were detailed in an exclusive report by the New York Post lastweek.
According to three anonymous sources cited by the outlet, Gallego had sexual relationships with two staffers working under Democrat members of Congress from Texas while he was in the House. Members of Congress may not have relationships with their own staffers; though the rules don’t prohibit staffers of other offices, some questioned to what degree consent was possible due to Gallego’s position of authority.
Gallego divorced his first wife Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, in early 2017. He married his second wife, Sydney Barron Gallego, in 2021.
Gallego was elected to the Senate last year.
While other Democrats have made a point to go public with disavowals of those elected officials and candidates facing allegations of sexual impropriety — like Gallego’s longtime best friend Eric Swalwell, or a Senate candidate he endorsed and defended, Graham Platner — Mendoza has not commented on these new allegations.
Mendoza’s campaign received over $7,000 from Gallego through his Juntos PAC as well as the Future Forum PAC, a political action committee involving him and Swalwell. She has expressed their support of her as a point of pride for her campaign, though she declined to disavow Swalwell.
Swalwell faces accusations of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and rape.
Mendoza has a spotty past with romantic relationships as well. The professed bisexual combat veteran and “single mom by choice” was married for two weeks to a Syrian national, Tariq Alrawwass, according to marriage records obtained by the Daily Mail earlier this month.
Mendoza and Alwrawwass reportedly married in Syria: a fact that raised questions over how the two met, since Mendoza was between enlistments and had not yet served overseas as part of her military service. A March 2001 court filing by Mendoza noted that Alrawwass had relatives in California at the time, and indicated that he could have either been in Syria or the U.S.
Marriage records further reflect that Mendoza and Alrawwass wed in April 1998, about three years after Mendoza had left the Navy and one year before she joined the Marine Corps.
Mendoza’s court records, filed in California, stated that she returned to the U.S. in May 1998, describing it as approximately one week after her marriage, though she didn’t file for divorce until October 2000. A court granted a default divorce judgment several months after Mendoza filed that declaration of her separation from Alrawwass.
Also in recent weeks, Mendoza made headlines for using her official campaign account on Instagram to follow multiple accounts dedicated to erotica and witchcraft. Among those Mendoza followed was former Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) leader Brianna Westbrook, the first openly transgender candidate for federal office in Arizona.
Westbrook’s Instagram profile is public and displays BDSM content and links to Westbrook’s sexual services as his alter ego, Harley DeVil. Westbrook was a former ADP vice chair, congressional candidate, and Democratic nominee to a seat in the state legislature. He was arrested earlier this month for an alleged violent home invasion of a former romantic partner.
Citing these recent and past actions, the Republican National Committee questioned whether Mendoza was fit for elected office. A statement from RNC spokesman Nick Poche said Mendoza’s hesitation to condemn Swalwell and Gallego raised concern.
“Mendoza keeps finding herself connected to the weird, the bizarre, and the downright disgusting,” said Poche. “If she refuses to condemn Gallego and reject his endorsement, Mendoza is endorsing his behavior.”
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Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is blasting the anti-ESA ballot measure, which is currently facing a legal challenge from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the Goldwater Institute. Under Ducey’s leadership, Arizona became the nation’s leader in school choice.
The Goldwater Institute filed a lawsuit earlier this week, challenging the validity of signatures submitted for the proposed “Protection Education, Accountability Now Act,” a ballot initiative that would place new restrictions on Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship (ESA) program.
According to the lawsuit, the initiative required 255,949 valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot but allegedly submitted enough invalid signatures to fall below that threshold. It contends that tens of thousands of petition signatures are subject to disqualification and raises concerns about the campaign’s signature-gathering process.
Goldwater claimed that more than 75% of the signatures were collected by paid circulators rather than volunteers and questioned whether some petition circulators met legal standards.
Out-of-state special interests are spending millions to buy their way onto Arizona's ballot. Today, Goldwater filed suit challenging the invalid signatures submitted for this anti-school choice measure. We will keep fighting to defend the rights of Arizona families and protect…
— Goldwater Institute (@GoldwaterInst) July 20, 2026
Ducey criticized the proposed initiative, arguing that it would eliminate educational options for families participating in the ESA program.
“Once again, we are reminded how little these out-of-state unions care about Arizona students and their parents,” stated Ducey. “This measure would strip tens of thousands of Arizona families of educational choices they have made for their children, forcing students out of the schools that are serving them well and back into schools they chose to leave. That is unacceptable, and we will vigorously challenge this measure at every possible step.”
Arizona’s ESA program currently serves more than 100,000 students, allowing eligible families to use state education funds for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other approved educational costs.
Supporters of the program argue it expands educational opportunities and parental choice, while opponents have raised concerns about its cost and oversight.
The Goldwater Institute alleged that the ballot initiative is backed by out-of-state special interest groups seeking to limit Arizona’s school choice program.
“This is a shameless attack on Arizona’s parents, funded by an out-of-state union,” said Victor Riches, President and CEO of the Goldwater Institute. “They’re trying to game the system by turning in tens of thousands of invalid signatures in an effort to destroy the most successful school choice program in the country. This won’t happen on our watch.”
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced that it joined the legal challenge in support of the Goldwater Institute’s lawsuit. Greg Blackie of the organization will serve as a plaintiff in the case.
They Claim to Protect Children. Look Who They Hired!!
Arizona Free Enterprise Club @azfec Joins Legal Challenge to Union-Backed Anti-ESA Initiative. Save Our Schools and the teachers unions claim their anti-ESA campaign is about protecting children.
— Arizona Free Enterprise Club (@azfec) July 21, 2026
According to the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, it worked alongside the Goldwater Institute and other school choice advocates to review petition signatures and identify what they describe as “serious irregularities”.
The organization said the complaint also raises concerns about individuals hired to circulate petitions, including allegations involving circulators with criminal histories.
Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot Mussi released a statement, saying election laws should be enforced equally for all ballot initiatives.
“Save Our Schools and the teachers unions have spent years accusing ESA families of fraud and demanding greater scrutiny of parents, said Mussi. “Now, their own campaign is facing serious questions about the people they hired to gather signatures. Arizona’s election laws must be fully enforced. If this campaign failed to collect enough lawful and valid signatures, it must not qualify for the ballot.”
The challenged initiative is backed by Save Our Schools Arizona, the Arizona Education Association, and other organizations that have, for years, supported additional limits on ESA eligibility.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A new data analysis.shows that Arizona is facing more of an affordability crisis than other states as the 2026 elections heats up.
Arizona households presently carry above-average debt across auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Arizonans are also falling behind on payments at rates well above the national average, according to new analysis by the Common Sense Institute (CSI).
In Arizona, CSI found that auto loan debt is 7% higher, credit card debt is 8% higher, and mortgage debt is 22% higher than the national average.
Arizona also sits at the bottom half of the nation in terms of average credit score, which is 666. The state ranks 30th overall, having fallen seven points in 2025 and experiencing the 10th-fastest drop in average household credit score among all states.
Arizona experienced the second-largest increase in per-capita debt out of 11 reported states. The state has experienced a rise in per-capita debt amounting to nearly 130% since 2003. Only Texas reported a worse increase in per capita debt, at 148%.
That metes out to an average per-capita household debt of $74,000. CSI reported that this average debt in Arizona has largely been driven by mortgage debt.
The same can be said for households elsewhere on that point. Nationally, household debt neared $20 trillion by the end of last year — much of that driven by mortgage debt ($13.2 trillion, an increase of 4.5%), followed by auto loans and student loan balances ($1.7 trillion respectively, reflecting increases of 0.7% and 3%) and credit card debt ($1.3 trillion, an increase of 5.5%).
Arizona didn’t lead by all negative metrics. Arizona’s higher education-related debt was 3% lower than the national average, and student loan debt was 8% lower than the national average.
And according to CSI, less than 23% of Arizona households have liquidity resilience, or ability to handle potential credit problems — far less than the average household nationwide. CSI attributed this to Arizonans possessing higher-than-average debt, higher delinquency, and a lower cash cushion than the average household in the nation.
The latest data from the Consumer Price Index also reflected that Arizona had more sluggish growth than the rest of the nation. Yet, Arizonans have been spending an average of more than $1,000 more per month than they would have if inflation had risen steadily at 2% since December 2020.
The average Phoenix-area household was spending about $6,900 per month as of June 2026, compared to the projected $5,800 under a 2% inflation trajectory.
In December 2020, the average Phoenix-area household was spending about $5,200.
The findings contrast with Gov. Katie Hobbs’ recent messaging on Arizona’s economy.
In April, Hobbs announced that Arizona ranked second in the nation for economic performance and fifth for economic outlook in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual Rich States, Poor States report. She also argued that her administration’s policies have lowered costs for working families.
A teachers’ union-backed initiative to end Arizona’s universal school choice program relied on a variety of violent felons to collect signatures in violation of state law.
In what some critics have called a twist of irony, the initiative allegedly failed to conduct background checks on those gathering signatures for a reform that would require background checks for providers within the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.
An amended complaint filed by the Goldwater Institute this week identified nearly 28,000 signatures collected by multiple felons, including a child predator, kidnapper, human trafficker, meth dealer, and killer.
In all, the Goldwater Institute estimated that these signatures, combined with all other invalid signatures, would render the petition ineligible for the November ballot. The Protect Education Act ballot initiative would need about 256,000 signatures at minimum to qualify.
One of the signature gatherers was Jess Redhorse, Jr., convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. According to a mandatory notice issued by the Flagstaff Police Department, Redhorse was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in 2015 and released in October 2017 as a Level Two sex offender. Level Two signifies intermediate risk to the community. Redhorse’s victim was a 14-year-old female.
Redhorse is not listed on Arizona’s sex offender registry.
Per the Goldwater Institute complaint, Redhorse gathered more than 600 signatures for the petition.
Save Our Schools and the teachers unions say they are fighting to “protect” Arizona’s children.@NEAToday@ArizonaEA@arizona_sos
This is who their campaign trusted to collect signatures.
According to the verified complaint filed by the Goldwater Institute, Jess Redhorse Jr.… pic.twitter.com/NUecaSieoa
— Arizona Free Enterprise Club (@azfec) July 22, 2026
Other signature gatherers had violent felony-level criminal pasts as well according to the Goldwater Institute:
Dwight Perkins, Jr., was convicted of aggravated assault in Arizona and cocaine dealing in Illinois. Perkins gathered nearly 3,400 signatures.
Aaron Soto and Jose Roberto Valencia Toscano were convicted of trafficking illegal aliens for profit in Arizona. Soto gathered more than 3,100 signatures and Toscano gathered nearly 1,800 signatures.
According to a complaint filed with the Arizona District Court in 2023, Valencia Toscano trafficked illegal aliens using an unregistered vehicle in March 2023.
Freddie Wilkerson, Jr., was convicted of conspiracy to sell or transport marijuana in Arizona. Wilkerson gathered more than 2,900 signatures.
Alvin Harrison, Jr., was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Nevada. Harrison gathered nearly 2,700 signatures.
News reports state that Harrison was convicted of manslaughter in the case of a slain security guard, Jose Parra. It appeared that Harrison robbed the man after he killed him, taking his watch and wedding ring.
Melvin Alston was convicted of attempted manslaughter in New York. Alston was included in the amended complaint but not included in the original complaint.
Mark Trusiak, Sr., was convicted on a drug paraphernalia-related felony in Arizona. Trusiak gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
Adam Lopez Milligan was convicted of assault, kidnapping, and weapons misconduct in Arizona. Milligan gathered more than 1,100 signatures.
Kisha Antoinetta Christian was convicted of importing methamphetamines in Arizona. Christian gathered more than 50 signatures. Christian was also convicted of trafficking illegal aliens in 2018.
Trevor Tatsuya Murphy was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful taking of a vehicle, and trafficking stolen property in California. Murphy was not included in the original complaint.
A police department in California issued a press release in 2014 identifying Murphy as one half of a pair responsible for a series of thefts and vehicle burglaries that concluded with the pair striking a victim with a stolen vehicle while fleeing.
Robert Smith, Jr., was convicted of attempted murder, arson, stalking, criminal threats, and drug-related charges in California. Smith gathered two signatures.
Scott Simpson was convicted of felony drug offenses in Arizona. Simpson gathered about 100 signatures.
Jennifer Smith was convicted of drug possession in California. Smith was not included in the original complaint.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona Republicans selected their nominees for several of the state’s highest-profile offices on Tuesday, with several races called later in the evening. Additional ballot counting continued Wednesday in closely divided legislative, congressional, and county races.
The Associated Press called Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) the winner of the four-way Republican primary for governor, setting up a November contest against Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs. The AP also called the Republican secretary of state primary for state Rep. Alexander Kolodin.
The attorney general primary race was subsequently called for State Senate President Warren Petersen shortly before midnight in Arizona. Petersen led attorney Rodney Glassman by 56.4 percent to 43.6 percent as of publication.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Warren Petersen wins Republican nomination for attorney general in Arizona. #APRaceCall at 2:58 a.m. EDT. https://t.co/TS3eIpQI5W
Republican Elijah Norton defeated Katherine Haley for the state treasurer nomination, leading 56.1 percent to 43.9 percent at the time of publication. Norton will now face Democrat nominee Nick Mansour.
Decision Desk HQ called State Treasurer Kimberly Yee the winner of the Republican primary for superintendent of public instruction. Yee led incumbent Superintendent Tom Horne 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent with approximately 89 percent of the expected vote counted in the highly competitive race. Former state lawmaker, Democrat Teresa Leyba Ruiz, had nearly 80 percent of the vote against Brett Newby and will advance to the general election.
Decision Desk HQ projects Kimberly Yee wins the AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction Republican Primary#DecisionMade: 8:18 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/hCr78WcgTt
Commissioner Kevin Thompson secured one Republican nomination for the Arizona Corporation Commission, while former lawmaker Ralph Heap appeared set to secure the second after Commissioner Nick Myers conceded the race in a statement posted to X. Thompson led with 291,934 votes, or 35.89 percent. Heap followed with 267,085 votes, or 32.84 percent, while Myers had 254,321 votes, or 31.27 percent, leaving Heap ahead by 12,764 votes at the time of publication.
Congressional Primaries
Former state Rep. Amish Shah has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District against former television journalist Marlene Galán-Woods, 39.8 percent to 34.1 percent, according to the AP. Jonathan Treble held 17.62 percent, and Rick McCartney had 8.51 percent. Shah will face Thomas “Jay” Feely in one of Arizona’s most competitive congressional districts.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amish Shah wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. #APRaceCall at 10:07 p.m. EDT. https://t.co/TS3eIpQI5W
Rep. Greg Stanton held a commanding lead over progressive challenger Kai Newkirk in the Democratic primary for the Fourth Congressional District, 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent.
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won the Republican primary for Biggs’ open Fifth Congressional District seat, defeating Daniel Keenan 58.3 percent to 41.7 percent. The Associated Press also called the Democrat primary for Elizabeth Lee, who received 65.5 percent. Chris James received 21.2 percent, and Brian Hualde received 13.28 percent.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Lee wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 5th Congressional District. #APRaceCall at 11:18 p.m. EDT. https://t.co/TS3eIpQI5W
Bernadette Greene-Placentia defeated Raymond Keeler approximately 65 percent to 35 percent in the Democratic primary for the Eighth Congressional District. She will challenge Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh in November.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernadette Greene-Placentia wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. #APRaceCall at 11:20 p.m. EDT. https://t.co/TS3eIpQI5W
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature, giving several down-ballot primaries consequences extending well beyond the individual districts.
In Legislative District 2, Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick led Timothy Ferrara 71.4 percent to 28.6 percent. Democrat Amelia Gallitano led Daniel Toporek 77.3 percent to 22.7 percent in the same district.
Republican Sen. John Kavanagh led Robert Wallace 85.2 percent to 14.8 percent in Legislative District 3.
In the Democratic primary for Legislative District 6, former Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai led Rep. Myron Tsosie 54.8 percent to 45.2 percent.
Sen. Lauren Kuby, a former Tempe city councilwoman, led Deborah Nardozzi 76 percent to 24 percent in the Legislative District 8 Democratic primary.
Christopher King led Anthony Dunham 63.2 percent to 36.8 percent in the Republican primary for Legislative District 17.
Rep. Alma Hernandez led Rocque Perez 53.8 percent to 46.2 percent in the Democratic primary for Legislative District 20.
The closest contested Senate primary was in Legislative District 27, where Republican Sen. Kevin Payne led former Sen. Anthony Kern with 8,368 votes to 8,096, a margin of only 272 votes.
State House Primaries
Arizona House districts elect two representatives, meaning the two leading candidates in each party primary generally advance to November.
In Legislative District 1, Republican Reps. Selina Bliss and Quang Nguyen held the two qualifying positions. Bliss led with 42.45 percent, Nguyen followed with 42.04 percent, and Shawn Wildman trailed with 15.51 percent.
George Khalaf led the four-candidate Republican contest in Legislative District 3 with 33.69 percent. Cody Reim held the second nomination position with 27.12 percent, only 612 votes ahead of Jay Schlum, who received 26.21 percent. Thomas Walsh held 12.8 percent.
Republican Rep. Matt Gress led Legislative District 4 with 45.28 percent, while Pamela Carter held the second position with 33.67 percent. Sandra Christensen trailed with 21.05 percent.
In Legislative District 6, Democratic Rep. Mae Peshlakai led with 42.5 percent. Ian Teller held the second qualifying position with 29.76 percent, followed by Angela Maloney with 27.73 percent.
Rep. Walt Blackman led the Legislative District 7 Republican primary with 34.73 percent. Rep. David Cook held second with 27.25 percent, followed by Andrew Costanzo with 21.34 percent and Barby Ingle with 16.67 percent.
Brian Garcia and Janeen Connolly held the two Democratic nomination positions in Legislative District 8 with 42 percent and 32 percent, respectively. Claudia Kline trailed with 26 percent.
Rep. Justin Olson, a former corporation commissioner, led the Republican primary in Legislative District 10 with 43.82 percent. James Rogers held second with 34.41 percent, followed by Ciara Anderson with 21.77 percent.
Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke led the Legislative District 13 Republican primary with 43.31 percent. Janet Weninger held the second nomination position with 34.62 percent, while Debra Schinke trailed with 22.07 percent.
In Legislative District 14, Tyler Farnsworth led with 41.63 percent, and Rep. Laurin Hendrix followed with 38.29 percent. Jed Lyons received 20.08 percent.
Sen. David Gowan, a former Senate president, led the Legislative District 19 Republican House primary with 43.98 percent. Rep. Lupe Diaz held the second position with 32.09 percent, followed by Cheryl Caswell with 23.93 percent.
On the Democrat side, Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales led the Legislative District 20 House primary with 33.37 percent. Rep. Betty Villegas, a former Pima County supervisor, held second with 31.81 percent, followed by Genoveva Diaz with 19.41 percent and Ben Koehler with 15.42 percent.
Rep. Consuelo Hernandez led the four-way Democrat primary in Legislative District 21 with 30.21 percent. Miranda Lopez held the second nomination position with 24.92 percent, ahead of Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton at 24.24 percent. Maritza Higuera held 20.63 percent.
Rep. Elda Luna-Nájera led the five-candidate Democratic primary in Legislative District 22 with 29.36 percent. Betsy Munoz held second with 27.60 percent, followed by Veronica Bejarano-Malone with 24.78 percent, Steve Chapman with 9.86 percent, and Gwen Johnston with 8.4 percent.
Rep. Mariana Sandoval led the Legislative District 23 Democratic primary with 38.35 percent. Emilia Cortez held the second nomination position with 25.49 percent, followed by Juan Manuel Guerrero at 18.3 percent and Naomi Miguel at 18.19 percent.
In Legislative District 24, Alberto Flores and Lisbeth Arescurenaga held the two qualifying positions with 39.87 percent and 37.02 percent. Democratic Rep. Lydia Hernandez trailed with 14.34 percent, followed by Rosa Cantu with 8.77 percent.
Republican Reps. Beverly Pingerelli and David Livingston led the Legislative District 28 contest with 41.72 percent and 38.98 percent, respectively. Heather Rooks received 19.30 percent.
Mike Gannuscio led the five-candidate Republican primary in Legislative District 30 with 33.97 percent. David Rose held the second nomination position with 29.16 percent, followed by Grace Hecht with 19.89 percent, Catherine Lopez-Rajaniemi with 10.68 percent, and Caroline Strecker with 6.29 percent.
County Races
Most countywide offices on Tuesday’s ballot had only one candidate seeking each party’s nomination. Contested county and local races included the Apache County clerk of the Superior Court primary, the Santa Cruz County school superintendent primary, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors District 2 primary, and the Yuma County clerk of the Superior Court primary.
In Apache County, Samceita Begay led Wendy Shepherd in the Democratic primary for clerk of the Superior Court. Begay received 5,653 votes to Shepherd’s 4,195 at the time of publication.
In Santa Cruz County, incumbent County School Superintendent Maya Donnelly led Sonia Sanchez by 2,545 votes to 2,222 in the Democratic primary. Miguel López also led Adriana Olaiz by 2,754 votes to 2,066 in the Democratic primary for justice of the peace at the time of publication.
Camp Verde Mayor Marie Moore led Wiley Cline in the Republican primary for the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors District 2 seat. Moore received 3,633 votes, approximately 57 percent, while Cline received 2,746 votes or approximately 43 percent.
In Yuma County, Chief Deputy Clerk Bobbie Jo Daily led Malba Alvarez by 6,801 votes to 2,530, or 72.9 percent to 27.1 percent, in the Republican primary for clerk of the Superior Court. The Arizona Secretary of State’s county-results portal continued to list Yuma County’s results as pending Wednesday afternoon, although the county had opened its separate online results system.
Additional Ballots Remain
The results remained unofficial on Wednesday as county election officials continued processing ballots. The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office estimated that voters deposited 93,368 early ballots at polling locations on Election Day. That figure represents Election Day ballot drop-offs and does not represent the number of ballots remaining to be counted. The Secretary of State’s Office reports outstanding ballots separately through its ballot-progress reports.
The early results demonstrated President Donald Trump’s continued influence in Arizona’s Republican statewide and congressional primaries. The legislative contests followed a more localized pattern, with incumbency, district organizations, and candidate-specific disputes producing several close races beneath a decisive statewide result.
Margins of only a few hundred votes in several legislative primaries could shape the composition of Arizona’s Republican and Democrat legislative caucuses as the parties prepare for the larger fight over control of the House and Senate in November. The statewide canvass is scheduled for Aug. 6.
Vote totals and percentages are current as of 8 p.m. MST on July 22.
Yavapai County officials are proposing 2.9 percent increases in the county’s primary property tax levy and the Yavapai County Free Library District’s secondary property tax levy as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget process.
The two proposed increases would generate a combined $2.1 million beyond the prior year’s levies, excluding revenue from new construction. The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposals at 9 a.m. on July 27, concurrently with the county budget hearing.
The county is proposing a $1,942,974 increase in primary property taxes over the prior year’s level, excluding taxes generated by new construction.
Under the county’s example, the primary property tax on a home valued at $100,000 would be $164.43 under the proposal. The tax would have been $159.84 without the increase, a difference of $4.59.
The Yavapai County Free Library District is separately proposing a $160,856 increase in secondary property taxes, also representing a 2.9 percent increase over the previous year’s level.
The library district’s secondary property tax on a $100,000 home would rise from $13.08 to $13.46, an increase of 38 cents.
Under the two notices’ examples, the county and library district taxes on a $100,000 home would total $177.89, which is $4.97 more than the $172.92 that would be owed without the proposed levy increases.
The proposed increases do not include additional tax revenue generated by new construction. The county’s calculation also excludes changes associated with voter-approved bonds, budget overrides, and other property tax levies, while the library district’s calculation excludes voter-approved bonded indebtedness.
Including revenue attributable to new construction, the county’s tentative fiscal year 2027 budget lists a total primary property tax levy of approximately $69.6 million, up from $66.2 million in fiscal year 2026. The Free Library District’s total secondary levy would increase from approximately $5.42 million to $5.7 million.
The proposed county primary property tax rate would remain at $1.6443 per $100 of net assessed valuation. The Free Library District rate would also remain unchanged at 13.46 cents per $100 of net assessed valuation.
The levies can increase while the rates remain unchanged because the taxable value of property within the county has grown. Arizona’s truth-in-taxation laws compare the proposed levy on existing property with the prior year’s levy after excluding the amount attributable to new construction.
Under Arizona Revised Statutes §42-17107, counties must publish a notice and hold a public hearing when a proposed primary property tax levy on existing property exceeds the previous year’s amount. The governing body must consider the increase through a roll-call vote.
A similar requirement applies to county free library districts under Arizona Revised Statutes §48-254. The statute requires the library district’s truth-in-taxation hearing to be held concurrently with the county’s budget adoption proceedings.
The county’s tentative budget lists approximately $491.3 million in expenditures across all funds for fiscal year 2027, compared with an adopted or adjusted fiscal year 2026 budget of approximately $424.4 million. The proposed budget includes $185.2 million in general fund expenditures and $301.8 million in special revenue fund expenditures.
The hearing will be held in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room at 1015 Fair Street in Prescott, with a second location available at 10 S. Sixth Street in Cottonwood.
