Residents of Maricopa County may see an increase in property taxes following a court ruling that left fire districts with a $10.6 million tab in tax refunds. The crux of the dilemma sits with a 2016 lawsuit, named Qasimyar v. Maricopa County, where a subsequent appeal upheld that property owners were overtaxed due to misclassification of their properties. This has resulted in a sizable financial obligation for the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority (AFMA), reported by ABC15.
The AFMA, which operates 12 fire stations and primarily serves senior communities, may need to boost property taxes for all property owners if no alternative solutions are provided. With a deadline looming at the end of the month to adopt their budget, AFMA Chief Mark Burdick highlighted the gravity of the situation stating, "It's almost like they're trying to put fire districts out of business," according to a previous interview obtained by ABC15. Discussions with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors are ongoing, but no formulas have been finalized to address this monetary chasm.
In Sun City West and Sun Lakes, the average homeowner could be paying an additional $53.52 and $73.00 respectively each year if the property tax increase is enacted. This band-aid solution would span over two years, ostensibly to give time for a more long-term resolution to be conceived and implemented. Chief Mark Burdick has called for cooperation or alternative solutions, stressing the importance of not ending up "taking this out on the citizens we serve," as quoted last month.
Despite the looming financial distress on fire districts due to the court's ruling, Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook, who inherited the aftermath of the lawsuit, disagrees with the decision. "The county assessor, in my opinion, did not make a mistake in the 2016 timeframe. I believe the judge was incorrect in the ruling," Cook said. Yet, the state lawmakers have acted to prevent future incidents by passing a bill to overturn the essence of the judge’s rule, though without retroactive relief for those already impacted as per Cargreen.
Under the shadow of these events, Governor Katie Hobbs approved HB2909, a bill providing financial options primarily to school districts, but does little to directly tackle the fire districts’ current debacle. John Flynn from the Arizona Fire District Association warns other fire districts apart from AFMA face similar fates, telling Cargreen that the situation "will devastate our ability to deliver services." Meanwhile, the county owes taxpayers approximately $329 million in refunds, hinting at the breadth of the financial ripple caused by the reassessment error. As the AFMA and other taxing authorities grapple with these challenges, the implications for county residents who rely on their services remain precariously suspended in a state of uncertainty.
