County tweaks, OKs tentative budget
Renovations may include work on parking lot
The Yuma County Board of Supervisors adopted a tentative county budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year Monday, but not before tweaking the primary property tax once again, while keeping the total tax rate the same as last year’s.
Russell McCloud, District 2 supervisor and board vice chair, said that since plans call for the completion of renovations at 197 S. Main St. next year, to include a larger board meeting room, supervisors’ offices and more office space, the parking lot behind it should be redone as well.
County Administrator Susan Thorpe said the lot is “in bad shape” and would have to be totally rebuilt, and local contractors had estimated the cost of rehabbing it at $105,000.
“I think that would be something, we’re contributing to (repair) the wear and tear we produce downtown, and it also provides a good surface for our employees and customers to walk on,” McCloud said. The 197 building currently houses the county assessor’s, recorder’s, treasurer and election services offices.
The rest of the board agreed that the parking lot would have to be taken care of, and that it should be included in the bid proposal for the work on the building.
In order to cover the cost of including that project, county CFO Gil Villegas said, the primary property tax rate would have to increase by 1.28 cents, but shaving that much off the flood control district’s rate would keep the total property tax rate at $3.6844, the same as the current 201718 fiscal year.
The primary property tax rate goes into the county’s general operating fund and supports most employee salaries and benefits, mandatory contributions to state budget items, public safety, administration and other expenses. The tentative budget includes $82.5 million for the general fund.
The tentative budget’s county tax rates, which
are assessed on every property within its borders, are:
• Primary property tax: $2.5288 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
• Flood Control District: $0.2522 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
• Library District: $0.6608 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
• Library District debt service (bond issue for Main Library and other expansion projects): $0.2426 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
The board also talked about its plans for how to distribute the 2 percent salary increase included in the tentative budget, in response to former Yuma City Council and board member Gary Wright’s concerns as the only member of the public to comment on the budget.
“I liken salary increases to slurry on a road; you slurry over the road but are you solving the problems underneath,” Wright said, including rewarding employee performance and loyalty and being competitive for new hires.
Officials said the plan is to give the first 1 percent across the board, and the rest to be based on employee performance.
“That 1 percent that we’re looking at for pay for performance, we’re making sure that’s objective and not subjective, that if we go that way there are objectives the person has met, instead of making it preferential,” said Lynne Pancrazi, District 5 supervisor.
McCloud added the county has several programs intended to help retain workers, including tuition reimbursement and wellness programs.
How the raises will be distributed will be included in the final county budget, which is set for adoption June 21. The tentative budget sets the cap for what can be spent during the fiscal year beginning July 1, but funding can still be shifted around before the final, as long as it stays under the cap.
A home that was valued at $135,000 this year and also valued at $135,000 for the coming year would get the same county tax bill of $497.39, according to a county report.
In other action Monday the board:
• Held a closed executive session on a proposed $29,000 incentive package for an unnamed company considering a location in Yuma County. The agreement is scheduled for a public vote at the next meeting June 4.
• Approved a contract for $3.5 million with DBH Construction for the Farwest Foothills Area drainage improvement project.
• Approved final plat for the Estrella at Mesa Del Sol Unit 4 subdivision, which would have 143 residential lots at the southwest corner of Camino Del Sol and County 10th Street.
• Accepting a petition seeking the establishment of the Kerley Ranch Irrigation Water Delivery District, and establishing the district. The district covers 36 undeveloped lots near Avenue 6E and 36th Street.
• Voted to revert the zoning for five properties, located at: the alignment of Avenue 4 1/2E and County 12 1/2 Street near
Yuma; Avenue 36E and County 8 3/4 Street, near Wellton; Avenue 4 1/2E near County 16th Street; 621 S. El Prado Road, near Yuma; and County 14th Street and Avenue 3E near Yuma. In all cases, the owners had failed to meet development deadlines included with the rezoning of the land.
• Heard a report on the 2018 session of the Arizona Legislature from Arizona County Supervisors Association Executive Director Craig Sullivan, which was attended by state Sen. Lisa Otondo and state Reps. Charlene Fernandez and Tim Dunn.