by Jonathan Eberle | Aug 3, 2025 | Economy, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
As Arizona counties finalize their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026, the majority are preparing to raise property taxes, with 11 of the state’s 15 counties proposing increases totaling nearly $54.8 million, according to the Arizona Tax Research Association’s (ATRA) July 2025 newsletter. The moves come amid population growth, infrastructure demands, and rising costs, but they have also triggered requirements under Arizona’s Truth in Taxation (TNT) law aimed at ensuring transparency.
ATRA’s analysis reveals that under state law, primary property taxes — which fund the general operations of county governments — are subject to TNT provisions. These rules require counties to notify taxpayers if their proposed tax levy exceeds the previous year’s amount, excluding new construction. Notifications must be published in newspapers of general circulation, and a public hearing must be held before any vote to approve the increase.
TNT also applies to some countywide special taxing districts, including those for libraries, flood control, and public health. While counties are allowed to raise taxes up to a constitutional limit — 2% above the previous year’s levy, plus new construction — only Apache and Coconino counties currently tax at that maximum level.
According to ATRA, of the counties planning tax hikes, Pima County stands out with the largest proposed increase: $33 million. This includes a nearly 25-cent hike in the primary property tax rate above TNT limits. Pima is also planning to exceed TNT thresholds for both its flood control and library districts.
Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous, is proposing its first primary property tax increase in five years — not by changing the rate, but by holding it steady. Due to growth in the tax base, this would still result in a $12.5 million increase, exclusive of new construction.
In Coconino County, library district taxes are slated to rise 11.5% over TNT, generating approximately $780,000 in additional revenue. The county also plans to levy the maximum amounts for its primary property tax, as well as for its flood control and public health districts. Altogether, Coconino’s tax increase would total around $1.8 million.
Mohave County is eyeing a 7% increase in primary property taxes, which would raise about $3.2 million. Four counties — Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, and Pinal — have opted not to increase property taxes this fiscal year, bucking the statewide trend.
County officials say the proposed increases are necessary to sustain essential public services amid rising costs and growing populations. Still, the hikes are expected to generate scrutiny from taxpayers, especially in counties proposing large percentage increases or exceeding TNT thresholds.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A new study based on FBI crime data has identified the areas most afflicted by crime in the state of Arizona and found Mohave County to be a crime hotspot.
According to the research by Suzuki Law, through analysis of crime rates per 100,000 residents in each county’s jurisdiction, Mohave County ranked highest followed by Pima and Yuma Counties, La Paz County, and finally Maricopa County rounding out the top five.
The report found:
- “Mohave County holds the top place with a total crime score of 99.54. Its monthly average property crime rate is 167.9 per 100,000 residents, about 121% above the statewide average of 76.1. The county has a violent crime rate of 108.5, roughly 74% higher than the statewide average of 62.2.
- Pima County follows in second place with a total crime score of 88.27. The average monthly property crime rate stands at 168.2 per 100,000, the highest among all counties in Arizona. On the other hand, the county’s violent crime rate of 83.7 is 35% above the statewide average of 62.2.
- Coming in third, Yuma County has a crime score of 86.86. Its average monthly property crime rate of 124.0 per 100,000 is nearly 63% above Arizona’s average. Yuma County has the highest violent crime rate in Arizona, at 109.3. This is around 76% higher than the statewide average of 62.2.
- La Paz County ranks fourth with a crime score of 79.43. Here, the monthly property crime rate is 140.5 per 100,000, about 85% more than the state average of 76.1, and the violent crime rate of 82.3 is 32% above the state average of 62.2.”
A spokesman for Suzuki Law commented on the clear disparity favoring crimes against property saying, “The data indicates that property crimes are a major issue in Arizona, especially in counties like Mohave, Pima, and Yuma. While all types of crime have serious implications for community safety, the prevalence of property offenses in these counties demands focused attention from law enforcement and policymakers.”
Maricopa County, despite the obvious handicap of having the largest population by far, ranked relatively low at fifth place with an property crime rate of 105.6 per 100,000, about 39% higher than the state average of 76.1 and with violent crime at 71.3 or about 15% over the state average of 62.2.
In the top ten ranking, five counties are notably absent: Pinal, Apache, Graham, Navajo and Santa Cruz.
Top 10 Arizona Counties by Overall Crime Rate Score
1. Mohave County — 99.54
2. Pima County — 88.27
3. Yuma County — 86.86
4. La Paz County — 79.43
5. Maricopa County — 63.99
6. Gila County — 61.62
7. Yavapai County — 54.10
8. Cochise County — 46.21
9. Greenlee County — 43.20
10. Coconino County — 39.08
The law firm suggested that the installation of proactive security measures are among the most effective deterrents but stressed the need for legal assistance for victims. “Installing home security systems is one of the most effective ways to protect your property, with studies showing it can reduce burglary risks by up to 60%.” The attorneys also called for personal vigilance, situational awareness, and the avoidance of high crime areas.
Community-led initiatives are also valuable. “Neighborhood watch programs have proven to reduce crime rates by 16% in participating areas,” they observed.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office was contacted to comment on this report but did not reply by the publication deadline.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Dec 15, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The State of Arizona has engaged in legal battle against a Saudi Arabian firm: Fondomonte Arizona, LLC., on allegations that the agribusiness has violated public nuisance law by aggressively pumping groundwater from the Ranegras Plain Basin of La Paz County. The move could signal a split between Democrats Attorney General Kris Mayes and Governor Katie Hobbs whose chief campaign advisor is partnered with a lobbyist for the Saudi company.
Announcing the lawsuit on Wednesday, Mayes said the company, which enjoys a strong lobbying connection to Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, does not have “the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain,” according to KJZZ. She added, “The law is clear on that point.”
Mayes said the consequences are immediate and visible. She cited that the firm has operated in the Ranegras basin since 2014 and has several wells that pump up to 4,000 gallons of water per minute. She also shared that in 2023, it used approximately 31,196-acre feet of water.
“Fondomonte came to Arizona to extract water at an unreasonable and excessive rate because doing so was banned in its home country – another arid desert with limited water,” the lawsuit claims. “Fondomonte is taking advantage of Arizona’s failure to protect its precious groundwater resource.”
The Saudi firm called Mayes’ allegations “totally unfounded,” according to spokesman Barrett Marson.
“We believe the attorney general is setting a dangerous precedent attempting to penalize farming and the wider agricultural industry within the state of Arizona. The company complies with all state and local regulations.”
The amount of water drawn by the alfalfa farms is reportedly enough to serve approximately 93,000 single family homes. Neighboring wells serving homes less than a mile away went dry about five years ago. Mayes noted that the well for the Friendship Baptist Church a little under two miles away ran dry in 2017.
“The land is literally sinking in La Paz County with as much as 9.8 inches of subsidence documented in the immediate vicinity of Fondomonte’s farms,” she told reporters adding that under the nuisance law, action can be taken. However the AG pointed to what she described as the Arizona legislature’s failure to regulate the water use of corporate farms outside active management areas. “They have been completely AWOL when it comes to addressing rural Arizona’s water needs and these situations where people are being harmed,” she said, according to the outlet.
According to the Associated Press, Mayes said, “While laws regulating groundwater pumping could have prevented this situation, the legislature’s inaction has allowed the crisis to grow. When the legislature fails to protect our most basic resources, the attorney general must step in.”
Republican La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin praised the move, while castigating Arizona lawmakers for failing to weigh in. “That is why we are seeing foreign companies come over to these areas, purchase land and pump water out so that they can supplement their alfalfa and send it back home,” said Holly.
“Attorney General Kris Mayes is the first one who has stepped up and done anything about it. I know my constituents will be thrilled that somebody’s actually paying attention to the real problems here, which are wells that are going dry, the land subsidence that we’ve seen, and the concern that we have for the future of our basin.”
In March, Fondomonte was reportedly stripped of the ability to use Arizona’s water resources when the State Land Department inspected the company’s land leases in western Arizona’s Butler Valley and determined they were no longer irrigating in the area. The company allegedly pumped over 5.3 billion gallons of groundwater in Butler Valley throughout 2022, stopping after Gov. Hobbs canceled their leases on its thousands of acres of land in October according to The Center Square.
Mayes said in a statement at the time, “The Arizona Attorney General’s Office worked closely with Governor Hobbs’ administration on these inspections, which confirmed what we have suspected — Fondomonte has been in violation of its leases for many years.”
However, she was critical of the delayed reaction. “And while today’s announcement is commendable, it should have been taken by state government much earlier. The failure to act sooner underscores the need for greater oversight and accountability in the management of our state’s most vital resource.”
As reported by AZ Free News in July, Chad Guzmán, who co-manages the lobbying firm Fillmore Strategy with Hobbs’ senior campaign advisor, Joe Wolf, is now working as a lobbyist for Fondomonte. The move came after Fondomente enlisted Guzmán’s company, Signal Peak Consulting, according to a Fondomonte spokesman. Wolf referred to the development as a “nothingburger” at the time, telling the Arizona Republic the he is no longer paid by the Hobbs campaign and has no business dealings with Fondomonte.
Speculation is rife that Mayes could seek to challenge Hobbs in the 2026 Democrat Primary for the Governor’s office, though the Arizona Capitol Times reported in November that Mayes said she is looking at running for a second term as AG in 2026. Stacey Barchenger, state politics reporter at the Arizona Republic, confirmed to KJZZ’s Laren Gilger a day later that she had reached out to Mayes who indicated she intends to seek re-election as Attorney General. Despite these assurances, the outlet noted that the groundwater controversy has proven to be a high-profile dispute between the two Democrats.
With Hobbs’ favorability ratings critically low, the divide on groundwater, an issue that often garners bipartisan support for regulation, could prove to be a wedge issue in 2026 that places Mayes in a position to challenge Hobbs on equal footing, despite the Governor’s hefty $3 million war chest.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Jun 7, 2024 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Last Friday, the AZ Free Enterprise Club filed a lawsuit in federal court against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for failing to comply with the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) mandate that he maintain accurate and updated voter registration records. Why? The data shows that there are 500,000 unaccounted for registered voters who are not qualified either due to death or moving out of the state, and in total, up to more than a million voters on the rolls who should not be registered.
Clean and accurate voter rolls are the bedrock of elections run with integrity. Ensuring only those eligible to vote may register and are on the rolls means that only eligible voters may vote in an election. It’s a basic principle: garbage in, garbage out. If we begin with bad data – ineligible individuals on the rolls – the system is susceptible to allowing ineligible ballots to be cast.
That’s why in 2022 we championed two landmark pieces of legislation to accomplish just that, and why, unsurprisingly, Marc Elias and the left’s lawfare machine immediately sued to stop these commonsense safeguards from going into effect. HB2492 ensures only eligible citizens who have provided proof of citizenship can register to vote and HB2243 requires regular and routine voter roll maintenance using several databases of information, with regular reports to the legislature of the results.
Both these laws are consistent with the NVRA’s mandate that states maintain accurate voter registration lists. But right now, Adrian Fontes is failing in his obligations under both, and that’s why we have filed a lawsuit in federal court to force him to do his job.
Four Counties Have More Registered Voters Than People
How do we know? According to the most recent census and voter registration data, more than 90% of the voting age population in Arizona is purportedly registered to vote. The national average is 69.1%. Why would Arizonans register to vote at an absurdly higher rate than the rest of the country? The only answer is that the state and counties are failing to adequately remove individuals who are no longer eligible, leading to bloated rolls…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Aug 13, 2023 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Clean and accurate voter rolls are a cornerstone to safe and secure elections. And they are required by both state and federal law. Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) specifically obligates states to conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters due to death or change of residence. The U.S. Supreme Court even backed this up in its 2018 decision in the case Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute.
But Arizona’s current Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and its former Secretary of State (now Governor) Katie Hobbs have failed to perform the necessary voter list maintenance. And right now, 14 Arizona counties are in violation of Section 8 of the NVRA…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
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