City approves property tax rate
‘Discrepancy’ in public safety pay plan forces adoption of higher levy
The Yuma City Council set the primary property tax rate levy for 2019-2020 at its Wednesday meeting, after one member said he hoped officials are working to correct an apparent “discrepancy” within the public safety pay plan which drove the council to approve a higher tax rate.
City Councilman Mike Shelton said before the vote that he had spoken with Interim City Administrator Jay Simonton about the issue, which was brought up by City Council candidate Chris Morris during a candidate forum Tuesday.
He said he voted for the property tax increase within the fiscal year budget in hopes of making a “powerful push” to raise police officer salaries to reduce turnover in the department, but the candidate mentioned “somewhat of a discrepancy, which I found disappointing.”
He said he spoke to Simonton afterward, and “I will trust that the conversation the administrator is having with the police department and others, that that discrepancy will be rectified, and things will be well,” he said. “So that is what I’ll be hoping for and looking for.”
Deputy Mayor Gary Knight also said before the vote that he felt the property tax rate increase up for a vote was minimal, and accomplished what they needed to.
“This particular property tax increase, fourhundredths of a percent, 2.2747 last year, 2.3185 (on each $100 of assessed valuation), do the math. Four hundredths of a percent is nearly nothing, but it was able to get us across the line. I was very committed to making sure public safety got their new pay plan,” he said. The new rate was then approved by a 6-0 vote, with Councilman Jacob Miller absent.
After the meeting, Simonton said the city is working to rectify the issue. He said some kind of error happened when employees were being moved over into the new pay plan, and he expects to have more information about the issue next week.
“We’re trying to work out all of the details,” he said, unable to comment on how much money is involved with the mistake.
At Wednesday’s Yuma Rotary-sponsored candidate forum, Morris said during his opening statement: “We just got finished giving this pay increase. The police department got a pay increase of about 1.6% That’s not even the increase in the cost of living.”
Shelton said after the meeting that Simonton and Police Chief Susan Smith were aware of the discrepancy when he brought it
up, and are working on a solution.
“I would not have voted for the tax increase if I’d thought it was going to have such a minimal effect on the department,” he said.
On July 17, the council adopted a final budget of $224.7 million, which includes a Capital Improvement Program budget of $42 million and an operating budget of nearly $183 million. Wednesday’s vote gave final approval to the property tax rate that the budget was built upon.
In January, the council adopted a “3%/5% Hybrid” step plan for police officers and sergeants, which would give increases of 3% some years and 5% other years. A 3% step plan was also approved for the fire department.
The council approved raises for the rest of the city’s employees at the same time.
In other action Wednesday, the council approved 6-0:
• A proposed tax rate for the Mall Maintenance District of $4.7398 on each $100 of assessed valuation, which is slightly higher than the 2018-2019 tax rate of $4.6718. This rate would raise about $120,000 in tax revenues for 2019-2020.
• A presentation of tribal gaming proceeds from the Cocopah Indian Tribe to Catholic Community Services.
• Voting center locations and consolidation of the precincts, as well as appointment of an election board, for the city’s primary and general elections to be held on Aug. 27 and Nov. 5, respectively.
• Ordinances to rezone properties located at 1874 S. Avenue B, the northwest corner of Avenue 5E and 32nd Street and the southeast corner of West 16th Street and South 44th Avenue.
Yuma Sun reporter Mara Knaub contributed to this report.