Know Your Pima County - League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson

Transcription

Know Your Pima County
A Citizen’s Handbook of
Tribal, County, and Municipal Governments
Full Revision June 2014 – Last Update June 25, 2014
League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
About this Citizen’s Handbook
Pages are sized for 8.5” x 11” viewing and organized to allow inexpensive double
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They may also be spiral bound on left edge when printed or small quantities can be
reasonably printed (bound letter size with glossy cover) by an on demand printer for
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This handbook was created using Microsoft Word and saved as a .pdf file for posting
on the web and distribution. Only the original Word document should be edited.
There are many links in the document to allow clicking on them, automatically
jumping to that page or other web sites. Note the “jump TOC” at the bottom of each
page to be able to quickly jump to the Table of Contents
This Handbook is only available on the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
web site under Publications, no hardcopies are available.
Click on www.lwvgt.org/Publications.html or scan the QR code below to access
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Links to our Website and Documents
League of Women Voters of
Greater Tucson Web site
Handbook Document
A Citizen’s Directory of
Elected Officials
www.lwvgt.org
www.lwvgt.org/files/KYPC.pdf
www.lwvgt.org/files/CDIR.pdf
LWVGT WEB
THIS HANDBOOK
CITIZEN’S DIRECTORY
A Citizen’s Handbook of
Tribal, County, and Municipal Governments
Illustrations by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Daily Star
Cover by Robert Kembel, Tucson Artist
Only a well-informed public can assure good government.
Researched, written and edited by
The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization established to promote
political responsibilities through informed, active participation in government at all levels.
Acknowledgments
The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson thanks
the many officials, government staff, League members and citizens who
provided and authenticated information for this handbook. Our appreciation
to Dave Fitzsimmons and the Arizona Daily Star for cartoon drawings
Robert Kembel for the cover painting
Organization of this Handbook
The purpose of this League of Women Voters Handbook is to provide general information on local government that
is rarely available in one document but is needed knowledge for good citizenship. Because we are committed to
informed citizen participation, we start in the first chapter with citizens, their responsibilities and rights, with the
hope that they might use this information on public authorities to enhance their understanding of and encourage
their role in governance. The second chapter covers Elections and Voting, the fundamental activity of citizens in a
democracy and the central focus of the work of the League of Women Voters.
We then cover government structures and functions of all kinds in Pima County. We start with the two tribal
governments because they came before the others. County Government structures follow. We include here the
informal committees and groups organized by the many unincorporated communities themselves, to interface with
formal county government.
Next, we cover the five incorporated municipalities in Pima County: Tucson, South Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley
and Sahuarita. Also the many other public authorities we call taxing districts which govern specific areas or issues
such as schools, fire protection, flood prevention, libraries, and many others. Few realize these latter outnumber all
other local “governments”.
Next we recognize a growing trend in local governance -- regional approaches to problem prevention and problem
solving. Some formal structures and many intergovernmental agreements and informal cooperative efforts enable
organization of the many governments in Pima county to plan and implement such shared problems as pollution,
water supply and quality, flooding and transportation.
Finally we cover the judiciary and courts.
We believe government is a serious business but not without its humor. We trust that the drawings contributed by
local political cartoonist David Fitzsimmons will remind readers that the democratic experience also requires a
sense of humor.
This Handbook is only available on the League of Women Voters website and will be updated periodically, refer to
the date on the cover page. The previous publication was a paperback published in 2006. Due to publishing costs
and information changing frequently, only an online version will be provided by the League. We would appreciate
your bringing to our attention any errors or omissions, just send us an email, address is on the bottom of the pages.
For locating specific government services, we recommend consulting:
· The blue-edged pages in telephone directories
· Websites of local governments (see “Links” on our web site)
· The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson’s
“ A Citizen’s Directory of Elected Officials” for contact information and Web sites.
Click on this link… www.lwvgt.org/files/CDIR.pdf
League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson - - League @ lwvgt.org -- www.lwvgt.org -- Facebook & Twitter too -- jump TOC
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Pima County Today & Pima County’s Past ........................................................................................... 6
1. CITIZEN RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES ....................................................................... 9
2. ELECTIONS AND VOTING................................................................................................................ 12
3. TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.................................................................................................................. 18
Map - Tribal Communities .................................................................................................................. 19
Tohono O’odham Nation .................................................................................................................... 20
Pascua Yaqui Tribe ............................................................................................................................ 24
4. PIMA COUNTY GOVERNMENT ....................................................................................................... 29
Pima County Government Organization Chart .................................................................................... 31
5. UNINCORPORATED AREAS IN PIMA COUNTY .............................................................................. 41
Map - Major Un-Incorporated Communities & Incorporated Cities ...................................................... 55
6. INCORPORATED CITIES AND TOWNS ........................................................................................... 56
General Information on Municipalities ................................................................................................. 56
City of Tucson .................................................................................................................................... 64
City of South Tucson .......................................................................................................................... 71
Town of Oro Valley ............................................................................................................................. 75
Town of Marana ................................................................................................................................. 80
Town of Sahuarita .............................................................................................................................. 86
7. EDUCATION...................................................................................................................................... 91
Map - Public School Districts .............................................................................................................. 95
8. SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS ........................................................................................................ 102
Map - Tucson Area Fire Districts ...................................................................................................... 106
9. REGIONAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURES AND COORDINATED EFFORTS ....... 107
10. THE JUDICIARY AND THE COURTS............................................................................................ 115
Map – Judicial Districts ..................................................................................................................... 123
Appendix 1 – Voting Districts & Ward Maps ......................................................................................... 124
INDEX.................................................................................................................................................. 128
Keep a Record of Your Voting Districts ................................................................................................ 129
MAP - PIMA COUNTY ARIZONA ........................................................................................................ 130
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Pima County Today & Pima County’s Past
Pima County, one of fifteen Arizona counties, lies in the southeastern part of the state. The Sonoran
Desert gives it its distinctive natural landscape featuring the saguaro, a mighty monolith among cacti. The
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum showcases Pima’s rich habitat and its
plants and animals. The Coronado and Ironwood National Forests,
Saguaro National Park-East and Saguaro National Park-West constitute a
natural desert environment unique in the world.
Pima today includes a colorful heritage
of Spanish, Mexican, and American
Indian cultures – mixed with settlers
coming to the western frontier by stage
coach and covered wagon from the
East. The flow became a torrent after the Southern Pacific Railroad
reached Arizona in 1882.
Pima is home to two Native American tribes, the Pascua Yaqui and
the Tohono O’odham, now federally authorized Nations. The tribes
that preexist much of the local government structure in place today are a link with the long and unique
history of Southern Arizona. Their casinos have grown into a major economic resource for the tribes and
the county.
Today the county has almost a million residents. The official estimate as of 2012 is 992,394, nearly twice
Pima’s population of 1980. There have been significant changes related to this growth.
· Raytheon Systems Company, the county’s largest private employer, now has upwards of 11,000
workers.
· The University of Arizona, with a main downtown Tucson campus of 362 acres, accommodates a
student body of 40,700 and a faculty and workforce of thousands more.
· Hospitals and health services proliferate to meet the needs of a population bulging with retirees.
· World-class resorts and scores of hotels, dude ranches, and health spas serve many thousands of
tourists attracted by the warm climate.
· Astronomers from throughout the world, drawn by the clear skies, keep telescopes busy on
mountaintop observatories. The university designs and produces the most advanced telescopic
lenses, and a related optics industry has developed.
· In addition to Tucson, there are now four other incorporated cities and towns in Pima County and
many growing communities that have not incorporated but are important population centers.
Growth in the county presents public authorities with important challenges. Growth strains infrastructure,
especially in a desert environment with limited water. In addition, of the 3,042 counties in the United
States, Pima is one of only a handful with an international frontier. This geographical position on the
Mexican border and the flow of immigrants and illegal drugs into the area adds to the pressure on
governments.
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Introduction
Other challenges have combined to make governing more difficult:
· Despite a healthy economic expansion, the tax base remains anemic.
· Low wage levels and a diminished taxable land base dampen government revenues.
· Eighty three percent of the county’s lands are tax-free.
· Native American reservations occupy 42 percent of the county.
· State Trust Land occupies 15 percent, and
federal lands (forests, monuments, parks, and
the military) occupy 29 percent. This leaves
only 14 percent of land that can be taxed by
local governments.
· Most of the nontaxable land is in
unincorporated areas, where 35 percent of the
county’s population lives.
Did you know...
· A traditionally independent-minded Arizonan population,
There are more than
part-timers, and retirees have resisted paying higher tax rates
seventy-one governing
to make up for this deficit.
entities/local governments
· The proliferation of new towns and communities has made
in Pima County?
coordination on regional issues more difficult.
All of these combined - attractions, advantages, and special
challenges set the stage for what governments must deal with in Pima County.
Pima County’s Past
Archaeological excavations indicate
that humans may have been present
in the area around Tucson for more
than 12,000 years. Researchers have
unearthed extensive irrigation
systems and villages along the Santa
Cruz River dating back at least 4,200
years. It is believed that continuous
habitation started with the settling of
farmers and artisans in the region
more than 2,000 years ago. Modern
Tohono O’odham Indians are likely
descendants of these Hohokam
people, the “Ancient Ones.”
Written history of southern Arizona
begins with petroglyphs, calendar
sticks, and the diaries of sixteenth
century explorers and missionaries.
Settlement of the Spanish dates from
the 1690s.
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Introduction
Silver and gold were discovered in the mid-eighteenth century, bringing prospectors and ranchers into the
area, most from what is now Mexico. The Royal Presidio de San Augustin del Tucson, completed in
1781, was the northernmost outpost of Mexico in our region.
Mexico seized Pimeria Alta (including Southern Arizona) from Spain in the 1820’s but lost it to the
United States in the Mexican American War of 1848. “Anglo” settlers did not come until the midnineteenth century, when Mexican land south of the Gila River was sold to the United States in the
Gadsden Purchase of 1853. American soldiers arrived in 1856 and populated the Presidio. Some
“American” civilian presence existed during the Civil War, and increasing numbers of farmers and
ranchers moved into what was then considered western New Mexico Territory.
The separate Arizona Territory was created in 1863. Arizona finally became a state in February of 1912
after lengthy efforts to draft a state constitution and mobilize support. In that same year Arizona women
won the right to vote -- before women in most other states. Male voters approved Arizona’s first initiative
for women suffrage by a landslide.
Originally, Pima County was much larger than it is today-- just one of four counties set up by the
territorial legislature when the Arizona Territory was established. Mining and the introduction of cattle
ranching led to the establishment of railroads. The last link on the Southern Pacific line between
California and Texas was built through Tucson in the 1880’s and touched off a new and greater influx of
people, products, and ideas.
The present-day boundaries of Pima County were established in 1899. When Arizona became a state in
1912 the county population was almost 25,000, today it numbers approximately a million.
Arizona’s 5 C’s, copper, cotton, cattle, climate and citrus, have been important in the history of our
county’s economy as well. But one additional factor has uniquely influenced the development of this
region - availability of water. The presence or absence of water has been a recurring theme and will
remain a key factor in Southern Arizona’s future.
To read about how state and county governments have organized to face water challenges, please consult
Regional and Intergovernmental Structures in this Citizen’s Directory, Chapter 9.
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Ch 1.Citizen Responsibilities and Opportunities
1. CITIZEN RESPONSIBILITIES AND
OPPORTUNITIES
Most of this handbook deals with local government structures and functions. But because in a democracy
power ultimately rests with the people, we start with them.
Citizens can –and should – play a significant role
in public decision-making. They contribute by
voting and participating in election-related
activities, communicating with representatives
about pending issues, serving in volunteer
capacities and serving on juries when summoned
to do so.
In addition, citizens must oversee government.
Citizens owe it to their representatives and
officials to be informed about issues and
government operations. They should monitor
behaviors of their local government officials and
vigilantly guard minority and individual rights from infringement by government. Governing is difficult
business, and its complexities are daunting. Unreasonable and uninformed demands on our public
officials can be counterproductive.
This handbook first outlines ways citizens can participate in the governing process and then provides an
overview of government structures and functions to help them better understand the scope of their civic
responsibilities.
Staying Informed
Perhaps most important, the public needs to be knowledgeable about what is happening in their
community and what their local governments are doing. Reading a newspaper is an easy habit to get into
to keep up on public affairs. Watching local news on TV is also good, but more in-depth newspapers,
blogs, web sites or current affairs books will provide greater detail.
Members of the public may attend city or town council meetings and meetings of the board of supervisors
or other public bodies.
Arizona’s Open Meeting Law requires local public bodies to post notices and agendas for their meetings
at least 24 hours in advance. The public has a right to attend, listen, tape record or videotape. While there
is no right to speak out or disrupt a public meeting, many public bodies include a call to the public as an
agenda item. This allows members of the public to address the public body on relevant topics of their
concern. More information about Arizona’s Open Meeting Law can be found at Arizona Ombudsman
Citizen Aide website at http://www.azleg.gov/ombudsman/meetings.asp .
Arizona Public Records Laws provide an additional tool to help interested people learn more about local
government. By law, public officials and public bodies must maintain records reasonably necessary to
provide an accurate accounting of official activities and of any government-funded activities. Arizona
citizens have the right to access public records upon request.
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The Arizona Ombudsman Citizen Aide recommends that:
· It is best to request public records from the agency that owns or created the record. It is also
advised to keep the scope of your request as narrow and specific as possible. Doing so will save
time and expense for all parties.
· More information can be found at: http://www.azleg.gov/ombudsman/public_records.asp.
Other ways to keep abreast of current issues and government activities include:
· Formal or informal discussions
· Libraries, schools, neighborhood associations,
community centers, and so forth, have
discussion groups or meetings in which
Did you know...
you can discuss local issues.
The county and municipalities
· Town hall meetings. Most elected
often rely on volunteer help to
officials and some administrative officials
provide basic services?
hold meetings to present information or
hold discussions or focus group sessions.
Interested persons can attend and
sometimes ask questions or participate in exchanges with
other attendees
· Candidates and issues forums. Before elections, candidates and issues forums are held in which
the public can see the candidates in person and ask them questions, or find out about current issues
on or off the ballot. These forums bring an invaluable personal touch to local politics in a media
age. Many organizations hold their own candidates or issues forums.
· Special classes sponsored by local governments, nongovernmental organizations and the
University of Arizona. For example the Town of Marana offers a Citizens’ Forum (see their web
at http://marana.com/index.aspx?NID=1136) and (during the summer of 2013) the UA Downtown
Sustainable City Project/Arizona Cooperative Extension/City of Tucson, Office of Conservation &
Sustainable Development sponsored a workshop series titled, Becoming an Effective Citizen
Planner for Sustainable Development in Southern Arizona.
Voting and Election-related Activities
The election process provides a wide range of opportunities to participate in local government. In Pima
County there are elections to select candidates, and to vote on issues in the form of ballot measures.
Voters also decide tax rate increases and authorize local authorities to sell bonds for needed revenues for
capital and other substantial expenditures. See Chapter 2 on Elections and Voting for how to exercise this
responsibility.
Citizens can affiliate with a political party when they register to vote and can volunteer in party
organizing activities. Campaigns offer a great way to get involved (candidates welcome volunteer help).
Citizens can choose to volunteer in support of a specific candidate and help that person run for office.
Ballot measures are one of the few ways citizens get a chance to be lawmakers. This direct democracy
provides opportunity for citizens to initiate legislation, circulate petitions, or work on presenting
arguments for or against an issue.
And citizens can work at the polls. Every jurisdiction (except those relying on a mail-in ballot) needs
people to work at the polls on election day. Poll workers receive training in advance and usually serve all
day and receive some kind of an honorarium for their work. Contact the County Elections Office, a city
or town clerk, or the tribal elections offices, for more information.
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Serving On Citizen Boards and Commissions
Virtually all local governments have volunteer boards to help them make decisions. Citizen advisory
boards are comprised of volunteers who are willing to put in the time to study issues and help government
officials think through issues and provide public input. Each government has lists of boards, commissions
and advisory committees that need members and are often seeking volunteers to serve on them. There is
one for almost any interest you might have.
A list of Pima County’s public board’s boards, commission and committees with links to more
information is on-line. Google: Boards, Commissions and Committees Pima County Government.
Among them are the Animal Care Advisory Board, the Arizona Municipal Property Corporation, the
Bicycle Advisory Committee (Tucson/Pima County), Boards of Adjustment, Fair commission, Library
Advisory Board, Metropolitan Education Commission and many others.
Corresponding lists for the City of Tucson or other local municipalities are online at the municipality’s
web site. Boards and commissions are usually listed under the City or Town Clerk.
Nongovernmental Organizations
Nongovernmental organizations often contribute to active civil society, representing issues and lobbying
their representatives. These civic, public interest, and business and narrowly focused interest groups are
independent of government, but provide an indispensable service to governments by advocating for a
specific group.
Hands-On Volunteer Opportunities in Government
Local governments also seek volunteers for help with hands-on tasks. Volunteer opportunities exist in
various tasks of government such as emergency management, police functions, animal care, libraries, fire
corps, public health, nursing and general administrative services. Look on local government websites or
Google volunteer opportunities in your area of interest.
Remember...
Government is not a vending
machine for our desires, but
a means to act collectively
for a better society.
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Ch.2. Elections and Voting
2. ELECTIONS AND VOTING
Note: See Appendix 1 – Voting Districts & Ward Maps
Registering to Vote in Pima County
Who may register and vote? A person who is:
· Citizen of the United States
· At least 18 years old by the next election
· Resident of Arizona for twenty-nine days prior to the next
election
· Free of conviction of treason or a felony, unless civil rights
have been restored
· Not under guardianship or declared mentally incompetent by
the courts
When must a person register or re-register?
· At least twenty-nine days before the next election.
· If you change your name, address or party you must fill out the registration form again and reregister.
How may one register?
·
Register to vote by mail by obtaining a registration form from government offices, libraries, the
Motor Vehicle Department when you apply for a driver’s license or car license, the League of
Women Voters or various other locations. Fill out the form and mail to the County Recorder’s
Office, PO Box 3145, Tucson, AZ 85702-3145
·
Register to vote in person at the office of the County Recorder of Pima County, with a city or
town clerk, or with those who are helping at fairs, meetings, door to door registration, etc.
·
Go online using Service Arizona EZ Voter at www.servicearizona.com
You must also provide proof of citizenship: send in with your registration form a copy of your birth
certificate, your passport, or include your Arizona driver’s license number. Those currently registered in
Pima County and only changing name, address, or party affiliation do not need to provide proof of
citizenship.
General Information about voter registration
The county handles registration of voters for all government elections in Pima County except for tribal
elections. (Tribal membership determines who may vote in tribal elections and that is handled by the
tribe.)
Each registrant will receive a Voter Notification Card identifying the districts for the voters place of
residence (congressional, state legislative, county, city or town, and school district). It also shows the
precinct number and party affiliation. See sample image on the following page. Voting location
changes; the current location will be on the sample ballot you will receive before each election.
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Voting in Pima County
Types of Elections
General
Elections of national and state
officials, state judiciary and county
officials are held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday of November,
in even-numbered years. Only one
person from each party and
independents may run in a general
election. The primary election
determines who the candidate will be
from each party.
Primary
Nomination of party candidates and election of party precinct committees are held on the tenth Tuesday
before a general election. Persons registered to vote in a party, those registered as independents, and those
registered “no preference” may vote one party primary ballot. The voter must choose which ballot to
receive.
Special
Special elections include bond elections, budget overrides, school budget overrides, special assessments,
and recall. They are held when called for under circumstances prescribed by law. Dates of special
elections are prescribed by state law. Elections may be held on either the second Tuesday in March, the
third Tuesday in May, or may be combined with a primary or general election.
Municipal
Municipal or public authority elections are now all held in even-numbered years as mandated by State
law, as of 2014. The City of Tucson has opted to retain elections in odd numbered years. As a charter
city, Tucson has the autonomy to make its own decision on years elections will be held.
Partisan and Nonpartisan or Retention Election
All federal, state, and county offices except justices and judges, are elected in partisan elections
(candidates run as members of a party). All city and town officers in Pima County are elected in
nonpartisan elections, except for Tucson and South Tucson which have partisan city elections.
Supreme, appeals, and superior court judges are not partisan. Justices of the peace, however, run as
partisans. (Municipal magistrates are appointed.)
At-large versus district elections
Counties and cities or towns in Arizona may hold elections in which governing council members
represent either separate districts or the entire geographical area. Pima County Board of Supervisors
members and Pima Community College members are elected by district, Tucson City Council members
are nominated by ward but elected at large (all registered citizens in Tucson vote on each council
member). The Mayor of Tucson is nominated and elected at large. All other cities and towns in Pima
County have councils elected at large.
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Know what’s on the ballot
Candidates:
· In primaries: candidates run to become their party’s candidate for public office in general
elections.
· In general elections: candidates run to win an office
· For National offices: president and vice president of the United States, representatives and
senators for the U. S. Congress;
· For state office: five statewide offices and one senator and two representatives of the state house
for your district in the state legislature (There are thirty legislative districts in the state, seven in
Pima County.)
· For county office: county-wide offices and
representatives to the Pima County Board of
Did You Know …
Supervisors;
You must show
· For judicial positions: for judges in the
evidence of
supreme, appeals or superior courts (a
citizenship to register
retention yes or no vote); competitive
to vote?
elections for justices of the peace
· For city offices: for city or town council, and mayor
· For tribal offices: representatives for district councils,
representatives for Tribal Council or Legislative Council, for
Tribal Chair, or district chairs.
Initiatives
These are issues put on the ballot by citizen petition for citizens to decide to make their own laws. Some
states have no constitutional provision for ballot initiatives, but Arizona allows for these citizen
initiatives. The number of signatures required for petitions varies depending on whether it is for the state,
county, or city/town level. There are no initiatives at the federal level. The Arizona Legislature may also
place measures on the ballot, for citizens to decide.
Referenda
A referendum is a ballot measure placed on the ballot by the Arizona Legislature or registered voters
challenging laws passed by the legislature. If enough signatures are gathered, the law that the legislature
passed does not go into effect until after the election. Referenda used to change either the constitution or
an existing state statute.
Recall
This is a ballot measure proposing to remove an elected public officer before the end of the officer’s term.
This may be placed on the ballot only by citizen petition with a sufficient number of voter signatures.
Bonds
The Arizona Constitution requires that voters must approve a local government borrowing money through
selling bonds.
Campaign Finance Laws
Candidates for state-level offices in Arizona must adhere to certain limits on single contributions. They
may, however, opt for the Clean Elections Program and be given money from the Clean Elections Fund if
they: a) promise to limit spending, b) accept only minimal private contributions, and c) show that they are
viable candidates by collecting $5.00 contributions from a specified number of registered voters in the
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candidate’s election district. The Clean Elections Fund monies are public funds but not strictly tax
monies. The fund comes from felony and misdemeanor fines, and contributions. The amount a candidate
may receive depends on the office he/she is running for.
The City of Tucson is the only local government in Pima County with a public campaign fund program.
Tucson’s candidates must also adhere to campaign contribution limits. They also have the option of
receiving matching funds if they agree to abide by stricter limitations on campaign contributions and
campaign expenditure, and show they are viable candidates.
State Requirements for Holding Local Elections
The Arizona Constitution sets a limited number of days when local elections may be held (county, city, or
town, school district, community college district, or special district). The effort to consolidate elections
for a limited number of days is to decrease costs to taxpayers. These days as of 2014 as follows:
· The tenth Tuesday before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (for primary
elections)
· The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Each local jurisdiction may select its primary and general elections dates from these options. Special
elections must be held on a different day each time they are held, but must be held on one of the
consolidated election dates as below:
· The second Tuesday in March
· The third Tuesday in May
· The tenth Tuesday before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
· The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Vote by Mail and Early Balloting
In Pima County you are not limited to voting at the polls on the designated voting day. You may vote
early at a number of locations around the county or in the city or town if it is a local election. Or you may
request a vote by mail ballot and fill out your ballot at home and mail it in to the County Recorder. You
may request an early ballot from the County Recorder . In most local elections, the towns of Oro Valley,
Sahuarita, Marana and City of Tucson limit voting to ballot by mail, unless the Pima County Board of
Supervisors calls a county wide election.
Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL)
PEVL allows a voter to make a single request to receive early ballots by mail for all future elections. Prior
to the creation of PEVL, voters were required to make a separate request for each election to receive an
early ballot. Currently if you add your name to the list you will be sent a ballot by mail automatically
before each election in which you are eligible to vote. Your ballot will go in the mail with the very first
batch of ballots being mailed out in the election, usually 26 days prior to Election Day. For more details
about PEVL from the Recorder’s Office, click here: for the link below.
http://www.recorder.pima.gov/pevl.aspx
Election Facts in Each Jurisdiction
Pima County Elections
· Primary elections: in August of even numbered years
· General elections: November of even-numbered years
· Congressional Districts: 1, 2, 3
· Arizona Legislative Districts: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 14 , Pima County Districts 1 - 4
· Who runs elections: Pima County Elections Office and County Recorder
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·
·
·
·
·
Referenda and initiatives are allowed
Contact for elections: Pima County Department of Elections (www.pima.gov/elections)
Contact for voter registration and early balloting requests: Pima County Recorder
(http://www.recorder.pima.gov)
Early balloting starts twenty-six days prior to the election
Elections: partisan, except for justices and judges
Town of Marana Elections
· Primary elections: March of even numbered years
· General elections: May of even numbered years
· Congressional Districts: 1, 2, 3
· Arizona Legislative Districts: 11
· County Supervisors District: 1, 3
· Who runs elections: Pima County (by contract with Town)
· Referenda and initiatives are allowed
· Contact for elections: Town Clerk
· Contact for voter registration: County Recorder
· Early balloting starts twenty-six days prior to the election
· Elections: nonpartisan, conducted entirely by mail
Town of Oro Valley Elections
· General elections: November of even numbered years, primary inAugust
· Congressional Districts: 1
· Legislative Districts: 11
· County Supervisors Districts: 1
· Referenda and initiatives allowed: Yes
· Typically conducts elections entirely by mail
· Elections: nonpartisan
Town of Sahuarita Elections
· General elections: May of even numbered years, primary in March
· Congressional Districts: 2, 3
· Legislative Districts: 2, 14
· County Supervisors District: 2, 3, 4
· Typically conducts elections entirely by mail.
City of South Tucson Elections
· General elections: May of odd-numbered years, primary in March
· Congressional Districts: 3
· Legislative Districts: 2, 3
· County Supervisors District: 2
· Who runs elections: Pima County (by contract with City)
Page 16
City of Tucson Elections
· General elections: November of odd-numbered years, primary in August
· Congressional Districts: 2, 3
· Legislative Districts: 2, 3, 9, 10
· County Supervisors District: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
· Who runs elections: City Clerk of the City of Tucson
· Elections: partisan, conducts elections entirely by mail.
Tribal Elections
All tribal members are also U.S. citizens and vote in federal, state, and county elections. If tribal members
live off the reservation in a municipality, they may vote in municipal elections as well. For tribal officers
and council representatives, tribes conduct their own elections. See Chapter 3, Tribal Governments.
Do you know your voting
districts?
Review the Appendix 1 Maps and list
them inside the back cover of this
book.
Page 17
Ch.3.Tribal Governments
3. TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS
General Information on Tribes in Arizona
Background
We start with the tribes because Native Americans were the first communities in Pima County. There are
two tribal nations located in Pima County: Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation. Their
governments have a distinct status as preexisting sovereign entities that are now “federally recognized”
nations relating directly to the federal government by treaty and federal statute. Indigenous peoples had
systematic ways of governing themselves, the land and the people before the arrival of Europeans and are
not local governments subordinate to states, as counties or local governments are. (See section on
relations with the federal government, below, for an explanation of federal recognition.)
Arizona and the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA)
Arizona has twenty-one federally recognized tribal governments. Nineteen, including the Tohono
O’odham and the Pascua Yaqui in Pima County, joined together in 1952 to form the Inter-Tribal Council
of Arizona, Inc.(ITCA) under the laws of the State of Arizona. The associations purpose is to promote
tribal sovereignty and to strengthen tribal governments. It provides a unified voice to take action on
matters that affect the tribes collectively and tribal members individually. The ITCA operates more than
twenty projects and employs a staff to provide technical assistance and training to tribal governments.
The ITCA council members are the highest elected tribal officials, tribal chairpersons, presidents and/or
governors.
Relations with the Federal Government
Under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, tribal nations were formally recognized as sovereign and
self-governing entities, within the relevant laws of the United States. This allows tribes to conduct
government-to-government relations with the federal government, the relationship operates differently for
different tribes. Tribal governments have a unique status from most states and local governments. Tribal
recognition confers benefits, such as eligibility for federal grants, and protection by the U. S. federal
government. Tribal governments are similar to the U. S. form of democracy. To be accepted under the
“recognition” process administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs were required to adapt a form of
democracy. Some tribal governments have refused to accept the idea of new constitutions designed by
the U. S. government rather than their traditional forms of government.
Power of Tribal Governments
Tribal self-government includes such powers as choosing the tribe’s own form of democracy, determining
tribal membership, regulating property within its jurisdiction, regulating domestic relations and rules of
inheritance, policing conduct of its members, administering justice, and providing services.
Some areas of tribal governance are specifically limited by acts of the U. S. Congress. The most wellknown example is gaming enterprises. Gaming is protected from state prohibition on reservations under a
U. S. Supreme Court decision in 1987, but is regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.
The latter law provides for both federal and state roles in monitoring and regulating gaming on
reservations. States are given the power to regulate (but not prohibit) gaming within their states and must
enter into state-tribal gaming compacts to establish the parameters of Indian gaming. Compacts must be
approved by the U. S. Department of the Interior.
Page 18
Relations with the State
The power to regulate and protect tribes (from encroachment by states and citizens) is wholly federal.
The states are excluded from any power over tribes within their territory unless Congress delegates power
to them specifically. There are many areas such as police, child care, and education where tribes and the
state work together on a voluntary cooperative basis. This varies by tribe.
Relations with County and Local Governments
Tribes are also autonomous from county and local governments but have entered into agreements with
local governments for law enforcement, education, child welfare, and other services. These agreements
are specific to the tribes as well.
Map - Tribal Communities
Page 19
Tohono O’odham Nation
Vital Statistics
Population: 10,787 (2010 census), Enrolled tribal members
living on the reservation (estimate. Approx.. 28,000 Mexico
residents not included).
Area: 2.8 million acres—about the size of Connecticut; the
second largest reservation in Arizona (the Navajo is the
largest).
Elevation: 2,674 ft.
Geographical Area: Made up of four non-contiguous
segments
· Sells area goes from south of Casa Grande, to the Mexican border and encompasses parts
of Pinal and Pima counties, 2.7 million acres (1916)
· San Xavier area just south of Tucson, 71,095 acres (created in 1874)
· San Lucy District near the city of Gila Bend, 10,409 acres (1882)
· Florence Village near the city of Florence, 20 acres
Location of Tribal Headquarters
Tohono O'odham Nation, P.O. Box 837, Sells, Arizona 85634
Executive Office: Telephone: (520) 383-2028
Tucson Office: (520) 930-0511
Web: www.tonation-nsn.gov
History
1100 AD The Hohokam, ancestors to the Tohono O’odham, lived in communities where they built 500
miles of canal, produced their own food, and engaged in math, science, and astronomy. Prior to European
contact, the tribe exercised regional political sovereignty.
1937 In December of 1936, The Tohono O’odham (then known as the Papagos) submitted a tribal
constitution under provisions of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act that was approved by the Secretary
of Interior in 1937. That action resulted in the Papago Tribe being formally recognized by the U. S.
Government.
1986 The Tohono O’odham revised their constitution. The revised constitution gives districts on the
reservation more ability to enact their own ordinances but strengthens the power of the central legislative
council on national issues. It also officially changed the name of the tribe to Tohono O’odham Nation,
the traditional name of the people who had been given the name Papagos by early Europeans.
Membership
Membership is defined in the Tohono O’odham Nation’s constitution and requires legislative council
approval. There remain today Tohono O’odham who live across the border in Mexico. Approximately
28 percent of the nation lives on the reservation. Those who live off the reservation have rights of
citizenship in the nation. They register as members and may vote in all elections. The tribe crosses three
counties and the U. S. border into Mexico. That portion of the Tohono O’odham nation in Mexico is not
considered a part of the federally recognized nation’s government, but some enrolled Tohono O’odham
members live in Mexico.
Page 20
Relationship with the State of Arizona and the counties
The Tohono O’odham partner and have intergovernmental agreements with county and local governments
on many services including child and family services, education, and in border issues, homeland security
and emergency response.
Form of government
The Tohono O’odham Nation operates under a three-branch system: executive, legislative, and judicial
branch, as well as eleven district local governments. The districts elect their own district chairman, vice
chairman and district council members.
Legislative Branch
The Nation’s Tribal Legislative Council Powers
· Passes legislation on tribal nation matters including final approval of land disposition since all
land is held in trust
· Elects a council chair from among its members
· Elected every four years with one-half of members standing for
· election every two years
The Eleven District Councils Powers
· Power over local matters. They decide, among other things, which families may contract to hold
land for their home sites. These decisions however, must pass through the chair of the nation who
approves contracts.
The Eleven District Councils Members
· From five to twenty-two members depending on the size of their area and population
· Members represent specific areas within the district
· Serve four year terms with one-half of members elected every two years
· Has a district chair and vice chair elected from among the members preside over each council
Executive Branch
The Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman/Chairwoman
· Serves as the chief executive officer for the entire Tohono O’odham Nation
· The chair and vice chair are elected by the tribal members at large and are separate from the tribal
council.
· Provides leadership to the nation.
· Has veto power over resolutions approved by the legislative council
The Executive Office of the Chairperson
· The Attorney General
· Government Operations
· The Treasurer
· Tohono O’odham Gaming Office (Regulations)
Chief Administrator
The chief administrator oversees the administrative support offices. The administrative departments are
program offices and under the general guidance of the chair and vice chair.
· Chief Advocate
· Public Safety and Emergency Management (including police, fire, solid waste)
· Economic Development
Page 21
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Education
Human Services
Membership Services
Natural Resources
Planning
Kohn Radio Station
Realty
Veterans’ Affairs
Judicial Branch
Judges
· Six judges
· Six pro tem judges
· Six year terms
· Appointed by the Tohono O’odham Legislative Council
· Judges may sit in on other courts for some cases
· Pro tem judges may sit as judges on a particular court when there is any conflict of interest with
the regularly appointed judge
· A chief judge is selected from among the six by his/her peers
· Judges are not required to have a law degree, but two currently do
Courts, the six courts are:
· Criminal
· Adult
· Juvenile
· Civil - adults, children
· Traffic
· Appeals
Jurisdiction
· Over all tribal members on and off the reservation
· Over most types of infractions
· The federal government handles major crimes, and many drug related and immigration matters
· Tohono O’odham courts work closely with state and county probation offices (the tribe crosses
three counties: Pima, Pinal and Maricopa). There is close cooperation with other governments in
handling child cases. Child Welfare of Arizona can determine if the state will handle the case or
whether it will revert back to the tribal court
Legal Code
· Tohono O’odham national and district ordinances and resolutions are codified in the Tohono
O’odham Legal Code 1st edition, 2006
Tohono O’odham Nation Elections
·
·
Qualifications to vote: Membership in tribe and registered to vote
Election of Legislative Council Representatives: half of council elected every two years, in May of
odd-numbered years. Terms are four years. A candidate is nominated by placing his/her name on a
list on which tribal members vote
Page 22
·
·
·
·
Election of the tribal chair and vice chair is held every four years in May of odd numbered years at
the same time half of the legislative council is running
Election of District councils: half of each district council runs every two years in odd-numbered
years
Who runs elections: the Elections Office of the Department of Membership Services
Referenda and initiatives allowed: Yes
Finances
Tribal revenues are generated primarily from gaming at the three Desert Diamond Casinos. A new casino
hotel complex opened in the fall of 2007 at the site of the Nogales Highway casino. Cattle raising
remains a strong part of Tohono O’odham family livelihood.
Expenditures
The tribe spends revenues generated on various tribal enterprises, education, human services, health care
infrastructure, government operations, and periodically on per capita member payouts from the casino
revenues.
Page 23
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Vital Statistics
Population: 3,942 on reservation; 18,342 enrolled members; 8,476 members in Pima County
Area: 3 square miles of total reservation land including Trust and fee land in Pima County.
Geographical Location: The tribal administrative headquarters are on Camino de Oeste, 15 miles
southwest of Tucson.
U. S. Congressional District: 3
State Legislative District: 3
County Supervisory District: 3, 5
Location of Tribal Government in New Pascua Village
Pasqua Yaqui Tribe, 7474 S. Camino de Oeste, Tucson, Arizona 85746
Phone: (520) 883-5000
Web: www.pascuayaqui-nsn.gov E-mail: contact @ pascuayaqui-nsn.gov
Other Areas of the Tribe
Old Pascua – near Grant and Oracle Roads
Barrio Libre – in downtown Tucson
Yoem – in Marana
Penjamo – in Scottsdale
High-Town – in Chandler
Guadalupe – an incorporated town near Tempe
Coolidge – an incorporated city in Pinal County
Eloy – an incorporated city in Pinal County
History
500 AD The Pascua Yaqui are descendants of the ancient Toltecs (Uto-Aztecas) from northern
Mexico, who migrated north.
1870s The first modern Yaqui settlements in the United States were in Nogales and South Tucson
when members moved north to avoid political persecution in Mexico. They settled in various
locations from Tucson to Phoenix, but the tribe had no designated area for a reservation.
Page 24
1964 The U. S. Congress passed legislation transferring 202 acres of desert land southwest of
Tucson to the Pascua Yaqui Association, a nonprofit Arizona corporation formed to receive the
land.
1978 The Pascua Yaqui secured federal recognition as a U. S. Indian tribe.
1982 Congress transferred another 690 acres to the tribe, and later another 140 acres to the
reservation. These areas near Tucson are the core of the recognized nation today.
1988 The current Pascua Yaqui Constitution was approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
1994 The federal government changed the designation of the Pascua Yaqui from a “created tribe”
to an “historic tribe” (having had continuous inhabitation of their land and not a reconstituted
community).
Membership
Members must prove they are direct descendants from a Pascua Yaqui through a process
designated by the enrollment department of the tribe.
Form of government
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe has an Elected Tribal Council form
of government.
Legislative Branch
Tribal Council
Powers
· To pass legislation in the following six areas: education, housing, finance, public
safety, health, and social services over reservation and off-reservation Yaqui tribal
members
· To appoint a chairman, a vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer
· To operate tribal enterprises
Council Members
· Eleven (11) members
· Elected every four years as at-large representatives
· Representatives must be enrolled members of the tribe, but they may live either on or
off the reservation anywhere in Arizona
Meetings
· Once a month in study and/or public session to vote on legislation
Staff
·
See under chairperson, below; staff serves both the council and the chairperson in
his/her executive duties
Executive Branch
Tribal Council
· The Council chairperson, as well as the vice chairperson, secretary, and treasurer, act as
officials over the executive departments for the tribe, as well as being legislative leaders
· The Council hires managers (called chief administrative officers) to oversee departments
Page 25
Tribal Departments and Divisions
· The tribe has full responsibility for services to the tribe, but it cooperates with Pima
County and/or the State of Arizona for assistance in services, and is eligible as an
administrative agent to receive funds for many federal programs as a “recognized” tribe
Attorney General Department
· Provides nonpartisan legal advice and representation to all officials, agencies, departments,
divisions, and enterprises of the tribal government
Education Division
· Usim Mahtawapo --- the Headstart Program
· K-12 Y.E.S. Program—to enhance Yaqui students services in public schools
· Higher Education Scholarship Program
· Language Development Program --- to promote the Hiaki language
· Adult and Continuing Education Program --- adult basic education and GED classes
· The Community Resource --- computer access for community members
· Intel Computer Clubhouse --- after-school program in computer professional skills
Development Services Department
· Develop job opportunities and reduce poverty by diversifying the economy
· Community Development
· Tortuga Ranch
Facilities Management Division
· Building Maintenance
· Construction/ Energy
· Custodial
· Fleet Management
· Inspections/Housing
· Streets/Parks Maintenance
Finance and Operations
· Information Technology Department
· Grants and Contracts --- Administration Office
· Procurement
Health Services
· Tribal Health --- to promote better tribal health
· Centered Spirit --- behavioral health
· CCORE-Guadalupe --- Community Change-Oriented Recovery Effort
· Behavioral Health Program - mental health and substance abuse Services
Internal Audit Department
· Monitors management and employees of tribe and its enterprises to see that systems are
operating effectively and efficiently
Page 26
Land Use Department
· Land use and recording
· Environment, and infrastructure
· GIS Mapping
Member Services
· Enrollment Department-member enrollment services
· Liogue Senior Center
Prosecutor’s Office
· Prosecutes for the tribe in criminal matters
· Victim advocates
Public Defender Department
· Provides legal defense in Pascua Yaqui courts to economically disadvantaged member
Public Safety
· Police Department
· Fire Department
Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO)
· Maximizes employment and protects rights and interests of all tribal members in
employment in tribal and outside enterprises
Radio Station
Elections Office
Tribal Enterprises
· Casino del Sol Resort
· Casino of the Sun
· Anselmo-Valencia Tori Amphitheater
· Chevron gas and convenience store
· Sewailo Golf Club
Judicial Branch
Tribal Court
· Chief justice
· Two associate judges
Provision for court of Appeals
· Meets periodically only when there is an appeal
· Changes size and members depending on the case
· Judges are often brought in from outside the tribe to insure their independence
Jurisdiction
· Complete autonomy on law enforcement on the reservation
· Major felony crimes such as murder, rape, or child molestation, however, go to federal
courts to be tried because of the lack of facilities on the reservation to handle these cases
· Cases involving tribal members off reservation go to state courts first
Page 27
·
The state may, and usually does, notify the tribe and transfers cases to tribal court
depending on the ability of the tribe to handle cases, adequate facilities and personnel for
probation, and so on
Pascua Yaqui Tribal Elections
·
·
·
·
·
·
Qualifications to vote: Membership in tribe, age eighteen or over (no registration to vote)
Election of Tribal Council members: First Monday in June, every four years (falls on same day
as U. S. presidential election); tribal chair and vice chair are selected by the Tribal Council
Qualification to run for council: enrolled member may file a declaration of candidacy, petition
with the Department of Elections; then candidates go through a background check. A list of all
candidates is put before the tribal members. Most candidates are from Pima County but may
come from anywhere out of county. The eleven receiving the most votes are elected. There are
several polling sites
Who runs elections: Tribal Elections Department
Referenda and initiatives allowed: Yes, as are recall and “secretarial elections,” such as any
changes in the constitution requiring direct BIA oversight
Elections: nonpartisan
Tribal Finances and Budget
Revenues
Pasqua Yaqui tribal government revenues come from several sources including the federal and
state governments. Approximately 90 percent comes from the two gaming facilities, Casino del
Sol and Casino of the Sun. Other revenues come from the Casino del Sol Resort and the Anselmo
Valencia-Tori Amphitheater (AVA) entertainment venue on the reservation.
Individual members do not pay taxes to the tribe. Tribal members living on the reservation do not
pay federal, state, or local taxes, but members living off the reservation pay taxes as any other U.S.
citizen.
Expenditures
Approximately 90 percent of tribal revenues go to services to its members, combining with federal
and state programs to provide housing, health and education, child protection and law
enforcement, and public safety. The remainder is expended on infrastructure and tribal
administration. A portion of casino revenues goes to support Arizona state programs and to local,
state and national charities.
Page 28
Ch.4.Pima County Government
4. PIMA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Vital Statistics
Population: 992,394 (official estimate, 2012)
Area: 9,189 square miles
Location and Boundaries: Pima County is located in the south central part of Arizona bordered by
Mexico and Santa Cruz County on the south, Cochise and Graham counties on the east, Maricopa
and Pinal counties to the north and, Yuma County to the west.
Elevation: Ranges from 1,200 to 9,185 feet (Mt. Lemmon), Tucson is 2,437 feet.
Location of County Seat
Pima County Administration Building, 130 West Congress, Tucson, Arizona 85701
Contact Numbers
General Information: Telephone: (520) 724-9999, Web site: www.pima.gov
County as Subdivision of the State of Arizona
Pima County, like all county governments in Arizona, is a political and administrative subdivision
of the state government of Arizona. Thus it carries out strictly regulated functions mandated in
state statutes for counties. The county has some discretion to choose to provide other services, but
less autonomy than municipalities.
State Mandated Elected Officials
Pima County is required to have nine administrators who are elected by the county electorate.
These officials have a more direct relationship with the state than other department heads and
unlike other department heads do not report directly to the County Administrator. This despite the
Board of Supervisors in the county having budget authority over all officers and departments.
State-mandated functions of the county over all people living in the county, in both
incorporated and unincorporated areas:
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Conduct elections and maintain voter registration roll
Operate jails
Prosecute state crimes and operate superior and justice of the peace courts
Record deeds and mortgages
Build and maintain roads and bridges
Operate agriculture extension services
Oversee public schools
Page 29
The county’s non-state-mandated functions
The county is permitted to, and may opt to, provide other countywide functions. Over time Pima County
has elected to provide the following:
· Wastewater management
· Flood control
Did you know...
· Job training
that there is no single head
· Neighborhood conservation
of the County directly
· Libraries
· Stadium District
elected at-large?
· At-risk youth programs
Services for unincorporated areas only
Pima County also performs some traditionally municipal functions only in unincorporated areas such as
law enforcement, zoning, and other land-use regulation, regulation of traffic, public nuisance control, and
building safety. Counties have less discretion than municipalities in providing these local services. Some
of these functions are state-mandated and are closely regulated by the state. Other local services are not
allowed by the counties, such as fire protection. Over time, many county initiatives and state
modifications in all areas have made it more difficult, than the lists above might suggest, to distinguish
clearly between the many activities and programs that are state-mandated and closely regulated, and those
that are not.
Form of Government
Pima County is governed by a county
commission form of government in which the
elected commission (Board of Supervisors) has
legislative and executive powers over some
functions, and state mandated administrative
officers have powers over other functions as
specified in the Arizona Constitution. Thus,
Pima County government does not strictly
follow the three-branch organization of
government where legislative or executive
powers are centered in their respective branches.
Counties in Arizona with over 500,000
population (only Maricopa and Pima counties at
this time) may choose to become “charter”
counties to gain more autonomy from the state.
Although both Maricopa and Pima counties
have tried for charters, neither has been able to
gain the necessary voter approval. In 1998,
Pima County voters turned down the bid for
charter status by their county.
Page 30
Pima County Government Organization Chart
Page 31
Legislative Branch
Board of Supervisors (The board is also executive and quasi-judicial for some purposes.)
Powers
· Makes policies within the strict limits of state statutes
· Sees that state-mandated functions are carried out but cannot change state-mandated
functions
· Appoints the county administrator, the clerk of the board, the public fiduciary, the
county engineer, the public defender and legal defender
· Has direct control over the county manager, community services, indigent defense,
medical, health, and welfare services, and public works
· Has limited authority with respect to the functions of elected administrative officials
· Sets the county tax rate and levies property taxes
· Adopts the county’s annual budget
· Determines voting precinct boundaries supervisory district boundaries, justice of the
peace district boundaries
· Sits as the governing board for the Tucson Airport Area Enterprise Zone and the Pima
County Library District and is the incorporator of the Pima County, Arizona,
Municipal Property Corporation
Meetings
· Where: Pima County Administrative Building. 130 West Congress Street
· When: Regular meetings are held on the first three Tuesdays each month at 9 a.m.
This schedule operates from January through May and September through December.
The Board of Supervisors adopts a summer schedule for June through August
Board of Supervisors
· Consists of five elected Supervisors
· Supervisors serve four-year terms, elected simultaneously
· Elections held every four years, in even-numbered years
· Supervisors elected by district; there are five supervisory districts
· Elections are partisan
· Supervisors select one of their members to be chairperson; the chairperson conducts
the meeting and sees that the rules are observed.
· Supervisors serve as official representatives of some citizen boards and district boards
The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
· Is appointed by the Board of Supervisors
· Records and publishes all proceedings of the board
· Preserves and files all accounts acted upon by the board
· Keeps the official records for the board
· Performs statutory requirements for special taxing districts
· Maintains membership information of Pima County boards, commissions and
committees
The County Attorney
· While the County Attorneys best known function is prosecuting people accused of
crimes, he/she also
· Gives legal advice to the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator and
departments, boards, commissions, and committees (BCCs)
(See Chapter 1 for more about these BCCs and how to serve on one)
Page 32
Executive Branch
Nine officers are elected countywide, each of whom manages a department with independence
from the supervisors or the County Administrator except for central administration and the budget:
· Sheriff
· Assessor
· Attorney
· Recorder
· Superintendent of Schools
· Treasurer
· Clerk of the Superior Court
· Justices of the Peace
· Constables
The County Administrator is appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The Administrator is
responsible for:
· Carrying out the policies and goals established by the Board of Supervisors
· Providing information and technical assistance to the Board of Supervisors
· Administering and overseeing all non-elected official departmental operations
· Providing management, coordination and communication on legislative issues and
intergovernmental needs
The Departments (see organization chart, 2 pages back) are organized into five functional areas.
They are as follows:
· County Administration
· Community Resources
· Justice and Law Enforcement
· Health Services
· Public Works
The county organizes departments into these functional areas, mixing state-mandated and other
functions together, and departments headed by elected officials and appointed officials together.
The departments and their associated programs are listed under their functional areas on the Pima
County Government Organization Chart shown on a couple of pages back.
Judicial Branch
Superior Courts are technically state courts but they are partially supported financially by the
county and are widely referred to as county courts. Justice Courts are county courts.
See Chapter 10, The Judiciary and the Courts.
County Elections
See Chapter 2 on Elections and Voting.
County Finance and Budget
Local governments including Pima County must, by state law, balance their budgets. Pima County relies
on property taxes for much of its revenue but this source is limited because only 13.8 percent of its land is
privately owned and thus taxable (see Introduction).
Page 33
Major sources of county revenues
Primary Property Tax and state revenue sharing are the
main sources of revenue for the General Fund.
Restricted funds (designated for a special purpose)
come mostly from federal and state-grants, state-shared
HURF monies( for transportation only) and bonds
(secondary property tax designated for special purpose).
Fees from county enterprises also contribute about a
third of the budget. Aside from the vagaries of
economic conditions which make government revenues
less predictable are uncertainties from state cutbacks on
state sharing in any one year.
County general obligation bonds
General Obligation bonds are a major source of funding for Pima County’s large capital projects. By
Arizona law, the County’s general obligation bonds (debt) may not exceed 6% of the value of taxable
property as of the latest assessment. Debt may be incurred up to 15% if voters approve.
Pima County’s Bond Advisory Committee initiates, reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of
Supervisors on what projects should be approved for bond support. The Supervisors then decide whether
to call an election for voter approval.
All municipalities and tribal authorities as well as citizens are represented on the County Bond Advisory
Committee. It is unusual for a county to include other jurisdictions on their advisory boards but it does
provide a vehicle to sort out overlapping jurisdictional issues. County projects within a municipal
boundary can be evaluated to considere broader regional impacts and purely local needs.
In addition to periodic state of Arizona audits of bond project expenditures and implementation, is
monitoring by the County Bond Advisory Committee.
State Limits on County Budget
Other than state limits on general obligation bonds, resources for the County budget are limited by the
state in other ways. The State of Arizona Economic Estimates Commission sets a spending limit for the
county - as well as for each local municipality - every year, based on the actual expenditures during Fiscal
Year 1979-80, adjusted for inflation and population growth since that date. The spending limit doesn’t
include bond proceeds, debt service, interest earnings, special voter-approved districts, highway-user
revenue funds, federal funds, monies from intergovernmental agreements, and restricted state grants.
Levy limitation: The annual growth rate of the primary property tax levy (for general operating expenses)
is limited by state statute to 2 percent plus the percentage growth of the physical property tax base.
Other Limits
Pima County does not levy a sales tax. The county is permitted by the state to do so if there is unanimous
agreement among supervisors. Thus far supervisors have not been able to agree to leveling a county sales
tax.
Taxes are further limited by enterprise zones. These are zones that give property or other tax-fee breaks
to businesses to encourage them to locate in these economically underdeveloped zones. Pima has two
enterprise zones, one in South Tucson and portions of Tucson, and the other in an unincorporated portion
of the county just southwest of Tucson.
Page 34
County Accounting Funds
The three major types of funds for all local governments are:
· The general fund, primarily from taxes: these are monies that can be used for any
government purpose
· Enterprise funds, monies that come from government-owned enterprises or businesses such as providing sewer service - and go back into those enterprises
· Special revenue funds: monies usually from grants restricted to one program or
purpose, such as a gas tax that must be used for roads
Fiduciary Funds
Pima County also has fiduciary funds. These are not county funds, but the county acts as the
official financial officer for many other public authorities in the county and accounts for these
monies in fiduciary funds. Pima County bills for and collects property taxes for all local
governments in the county. It is also the fiscal manager/treasurer for some local governments and
special taxing districts. Fiduciary funds are shown in the budget for information only. They are
not County monies, nor are they figured in the budget totals.
Your Property Tax Bill
The county sends you a bill for property taxes for jurisdictions in Pima County and then passes on
the revenues to those various jurisdictions. Pima County, the City of Tucson, and the City of
South Tucson are the only general government jurisdictions that currently levy a property tax.
For an image of a sample Pima County Property tax bill/statement and an excellent explanation of
all the items on the statement, go to the Pima County Treasurer’s web site www.pima.gov/taxes .
Holding the cursor over an item brings up afull explanation of that item. For more information
contact the Treasurer’s office.
Page 35
Pima County Budget
The following charts from fiscal year 2012/2013, gives an overview of Pima County’s finances
and budget. Since budgets and taxes can change every year, this budget information is offered as
a benchmark for the size of the budget, tax rates, categories of revenues and major expenditures,
and budget organization.
Expenditure is by program (within departments). A particular program may get funds from more
than one category of revenue. Thus, for example, a transportation program may get funds from
general taxes, revenues generated by bus tickets (enterprise funds) and special grants.
Pima County Budget, Fiscal Year 2012/2013
·
·
·
Total Budget: $1,233,496,441
Property Tax Rate per $100 assessed property value (determined each year).
Sales tax: None
Page 36
Pima County Revenues
Fiscal Year 2012/2013
Enterprise Funds 30%
Regional Wastewater Mgmt. 28.8%
Development Services 0.5%
Parking Garages 0.2%
Restricted Fund 34%
Capital Projects 10.7% *
Secondary Property Taxes
County Free Library 2.2%
Regional Flood Control Dist. 1.5%
Debt Service 5.0%
Federal Revenue 5.8%
State Shared HURF 2.8%
Other State revenue 3.6%
Other Revenue 2.8%
30%
34%
General Fund 36%
* Includes other Funding Sources
Primary Property Taxes 22.4%
State Revenue Sharing 9.3%
Other Local Taxes & Fines 3.5%
Other Revenues 0.9%
36%
Fiscal Year 2012/2013 Total Budget $1,233,496,441
Pima County Expenditures
Fiscal Year 2012/2013
Enterprise Funds 13 %
13%
Restricted Fund 49%
County Free Library 2.8%
Employment & Training 1.5%
Justice & Law 5.0%
Health 2.2%
Transportation 3.1%
Federal Revenue 5.8%
Debt Service Fund 9.2%
Capital Project Fund 18.2%
Other 4.2%
Regional Wastewater Mgmt.13.4%
Development Services 0.05%
Parking Garages 0.1%
General Fund 38%
49%
38%
Justice & Law 20.1 %
Health Services 8.2%
Central Administration 3.0%
Public Works 2.6%
Other 6.0%
Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Pima County Budget Recommended – click here or use link below
http://webcms.pima.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/Government/Finance%20and%20Risk%20Management/R
eports/budget%20reports/2013-2014/Recommended%20Budget%202013-2014.pdf
Page 37
Allocation of Pima County Budget Fiscal
Year 2012/2013 Health 14%
UAMC South Campus
State Medicais (AHCCCS)
Public Works
36%
Wastewater
Management
Solid Waste
Management
Environmental Quality
Community
Services 10%
14%
36%
Outside Agencies
Vocational/Remedial
Employment Training
Youth Health/Social
10%
Parks &
Recreation 3%
3%
Parks
Public Safety
37%
Prosecution
Indigent Defense
37%
General Fund Sources of Funds and Uses of Tax Dollars – Fiscal Year 2012/2013
Use of Tax Dollars
Percent of Local Property Taxes
Sources of Funds
Misc. 4%
Licenses & Fines
Tranfers-In
16%
Health 20%
Local Property
Tax 33%
Wastewater Mgmt.
Health Plan fees
Court Ffees
Correctional Housing
Fees
Local
Property
Tax 33%
Parks & Rec. 4%
Community
Services 3%
Debt Service 16%
Flood Control 5%
Secondary Tax
Charges for
Services 19%
Public Safety 45%
PrimaryTax
Intergovernmental 28%
State Shared Sales
Tax
Vehicle License Tax
Highway User
Revenue
Fund
Grants
Library 7%
Page 38
“Did You Know” these facts about some Pima County Projects?
Sonoran Desert Conservation
The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) adopted by the Pima County Board of
Supervisors and approved by citizens vote in 2003, is now being implemented. Many
governments and their agencies, special districts, non-profit and private organizations,
ranchers, and others are making decisions on a range of policy issues. Among these
are conserving wildlife habitats, healthy riparian areas, natural resources, soils, cultural
heritage sites and reserving areas for economic and residential development.
Coordination of the efforts to implement the Plan is now centered in the new 1) Pima
County Division of Sustainability and Conservation located in the Public Works
Department; and the 2) Pima County Flood Control District.
More information on the SDCP and its implementation is available on the Pima County
web site. Click on Public Works in Departments. Or phone the Division of
Sustainability and Conservation at (520) 724-6451.
Economic Development
Pima County has a new Economic Development Plan passed by the Board of
Supervisors in November 2012. The plan’s purpose is to make Pima County more
competitive economically, and to attract more high wage jobs. It addresses
improvements across the board: infrastructure, facilities for tourism, employment
center, permitting process for new businesses, revitalization of neighborhoods, and
museum and library innovative programs. Plan oversight is located in the County
Administrator’s office. Hands-on implementation falls mainly in the community and
Economic Development Administration, Development Services and Public Works.
For more information, please go to the Economic Development Action plan, Pima
County web site or the office of the
Page 39
There are two on-going programs that have been recently changed.
Health Programs
Pima County is mandated by state government to provide public health services. It
has traditionally providing patient services through Kino Hospital and other sites, as
well. However, over the last decade, the County has moved Kino Hospital to the
private sector and no longer operates a hospital, nursing home or health plan. The
Health Department of the County now focuses on Public Health. But continues to
provide health services to adult and juvenile detainees, and certain psychiatric
evaluation services to individuals involuntarily committed.
Library
Also, over the last decade, Pima County has assumed total responsibility for library
services throughout Pima County. Prior to 2006 the County shared this responsibility
with the City of Tucson.
Did You Know?
Pima County offers an innovative program that provides public health nursing in its
library system. The program, which served more than 2,800 patrons in its first year of
operation, is being used as a model throughout the nation.
Page 40
Ch.5.Unincorporated Areas in Pima County
5. UNINCORPORATED AREAS IN PIMA COUNTY
Overview
Pima County has a large unincorporated area with a number
of large and growing communities. These unincorporated
communities increasingly require municipal-type services the
county cannot provide. Such communities have thus far opted
not to incorporate as municipalities, or do not meet state
requirements. See next Section on Incorporated Cities and
Towns. Some have developed other mechanisms to provide
such services, and have developed governing bodies short of
incorporating as municipalities to work with the county to
improve their areas.
Why communities may choose not to incorporate
Arizona law requires that a community have a population of at
least 1,500 before it may incorporate as a municipality. Many
communities that meet this standard choose to remain
unincorporated for various reasons. The question whether or
not to incorporate has been a contentious one among many
Pima unincorporated communities. Some have had
movements to incorporate but these movements have not
succeeded.
The contest is over more and better services versus potential
for more taxes and another layer of government. Those areas that decide to incorporate usually have
problems with infrastructure; roads, water, and so forth, and seek better services by having more local
control over them. They also seek to take advantage of state revenue sharing with incorporated areas or
protection from annexation by neighboring cities or towns. But many remain satisfied with fewer
services and prefer to remain unincorporated and keep their independence and distance from government.
Under direct county jurisdiction
The communities that develop an identity but choose to stay unincorporated remain directly under the
jurisdiction of county government. County government in Arizona was designed to carry out state
functions, such as public health, environmental regulation, and the sheriff, that municipalities don’t
provide. But counties do provide unincorporated areas with some municipal-type services. In more
isolated areas, municipal services are costly to provide to the satisfaction of the communities.
Being unincorporated does not mean that communities do not organize locally to operate as communities.
There are different ways and levels of involvement communities use to govern themselves. Some efforts
are formal, some informal; some are intended to gain more services from county government; some allow
the community to operate autonomously.
Unregulated subdivisions—wildcat subdivisions
Under Arizona state statutes, subdivision regulations allow a landowner to divide property up to five
splits, unplatted, and without having to comply with those local subdivision regulations that address
infrastructure needs such as roads, access, sewer, and drainage analysis.
Page 41
Most communities or housing subdivisions of more than five plots are regulated through local
development processes that mandate standards for adequate infrastructure. Developers are required to
provide adequate infrastructure, which is then handed over to public authorities to maintain. Under the
state “wildcat subdivision” statute, infrastructure is taken care of privately; therefore, it may not be up to
standard, and is not handed over for public maintenance.
Over time, wildcat division and re-division (each of the divided parcels may in turn be divided again into
up to five plots, ad infinitum) has created some densely populated residential areas that now want better
infrastructure and services. For example substandard roads wash out easily in floods. But the county
cannot spend tax dollars to maintain these often substandard private roads
As of 2005, the county, under the Minor Lands Division, does require a wildcat subdivision to go through
a land survey and application process designed to inform landowners what problems might occur in the
future with flooding, legal access requirements, and so forth, and to insure that the subdivision does not
have more than five plots.
The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has offered funds to some of the poorer
wildcat neighborhoods, calling them colonias; concentrated populations in unincorporated areas,
especially in border areas lacking basic services. Thus far, Arizona’s border area colonias have not
received as much federal aid as the arguably worse colonias in New Mexico and Texas.
Special taxing districts
Unincorporated communities are increasingly providing themselves the essential services they need by
special taxing districts, such as fire or water districts. See the Chapter 8, Special Taxing Districts. These
are a formal type of public authority or local government; they can impose and enforce a tax. But they
can be used only for a single specific purpose. These special purpose districts are the fastest growing part
of local government in Pima County and nationwide. Tax power limited to providing only one service
may seem to the community an easier way to hold public authority accountable. Improvement districts
can be created as a special taxing mechanism to pay for improvements or services to a neighborhood or
homeowner association area.
Homeowner and neighborhood associations
Another way of organizing to provide some services and/or controls is to form a homeowner association
and/or a neighborhood association, some incorporate. Also, see Chapter 6, Incorporated Cities and
Towns, The City of Tucson.
Homeowner associations (HOAs) are legally different from neighborhood associations. Membership in
the former is not usually voluntary if one owns a home in the area. HOAs have covenants, conditions,
and restrictions (CC&Rs), which they may enforce, these CC&Rs are attached to the land deeds. These
may include the collection of annual fees and requirements for housing styles and uses, RV parking
restrictions, garbage pickup, paying for recreational facilities, and so forth, similar to municipal
ordinances. Homeowner associations are considered private.
Neighborhood associations are considered public organizations especially if they are officially
recognized. They are encouraged by public agencies to work with them in improving neighborhoods.
They are voluntary in membership, although they might charge a fee for joining. They organize to
maintain value and bring improvements to the neighborhood through cooperation on planning and
improvement projects, or lobbying city, town, or county government to provide better services.
CC&Rs or deed restrictions on land in neighborhoods are often more restrictive than local governments’
Land Use Codes.
Page 42
CC&Rs and land deed restrictions do have legal status. On land issues, although they do not take
precedence legally over the county or city codes, they may challenge public land-use decisions through
the courts where there is some conflict. On crime issues, in 1997 the Arizona Neighborhood Protection
Act (NPA) extended certain parts of victims’ rights to registered neighborhood associations to help track a
criminal proceeding related to crime in their neighborhoods.
Community committees or commissions
Some communities have formed committees or commissions that have elected representatives as an
intermediary between the people and the county government. These may be organized for a specific
purpose, such as providing social services to its communities. Or, they may be broadbased representing
the community at large and sometimes can act much like a volunteer government as the one in Green
Valley does.
Private contracting for services
Municipal services such as water or garbage pickup
are sometimes provided by private enterprises. Or
property owners themselves may provide their own
services, such as water wells, or septic tanks. The
county controls all sewer services for those not on
private septic tanks.
Did you know…
The county is not
permitted by the state to
provide fire protection
services!
Fire service is provided by volunteers, by special taxing fire
districts or by individual homeowners’ contracts with private
companies such as Rural Metro.
Pima County unincorporated communities
Pima County has many unincorporated communities across its expanse. We present brief information on
those with major populations or those that have the most activity related to governing.
Ajo, Altar Valley/Three Points, Arivaca, Avra Valley/Picture Rocks, Casas Adobes, Catalina, Catalina
Foothills, Corona de Tucson, Green Valley, Mt. Lemmon, Rincon Valley/Vail, Tanque Verde, Tucson
Estates, and Tucson Mountains. See Map at the end of this Section.
In addition to these, there are other smaller or less
organized communities that we merely list here:
Cortaro, Drexel/Alvernon, Drexel Heights, East
Sahuarita, Flowing Wells (lies partly within the
City of Tucson boundaries), Redington, Rillito,
Santa Rita, Santa Rosa, Summit, Tortolita,
Valencia West, and many more on the Tohono
O’odham reservation.
Remember, Arizona is growing and urbanizing so
rapidly that this picture of unincorporated areas
may change from our occasionally updated
numbers.
Page 43
UNINCORPORATED AREAS
AJO (Why and Lukeville)
Vital Statistics
Population.. 3,304 (2010)
Area............. 28.1 square miles
Location...... Ajo is in western Pima County on Highway
85, north of the junction with State Highway 86.
Elevation..... 1,798 feet
County Supervisory District 3
Website www.ajochamber.com/
Description and History
Ajo, an ethnically diverse rural community in western Arizona, began as a copper mining town in 1911
under the Phelps Dodge Corporation. Phelps Dodge has since closed its operations. During the 1980s,
Ajo became primarily a retirement community and tourist destination in the winter months. Its name
comes from the first people to inhabit the area—the Tohono O’odham. They named the area for the red
pigment they obtained from the ore-rich rocks called “au-auh.”
Civic Organization
Western Pima County Community Council
· This council represents the interests of Ajo and the smaller communities of Why and
Lukeville to the county
· It has eleven elected members, one representative from each of seven districts and four atlarge councilors. Ajo has five districts; Why has one, and Lukeville one
ALTAR VALLEY/THREE POINTS-ROBLES JUNCTION/SASABE
Vital Statistics
Population.. 8,600 (approximate)
Area............. 713,807 acres
Location...... The Valley is bounded by the Baboquivari and Coyote Mountains on the west, Tohono
O’odham Garcia Strip to the north, Black Mountain, Sierrita Mountains, and Cerro Colorado Mountains
near Arivaca on the east, and the Mexican border on the south.
Elevation..... 3,000 ft.
The Altar Valley is a long, narrow trough through which the Altar Wash flows northward from Mexico.
A mix of ranches on both private and leased grazing land, farming, along with rapid residential growth
along the rural edge of the greater Tucson metropolitan area, the Altar Valley has historic and culturally
significant areas—from early Native American settlements to early nineteenth-century European ranches.
Both Sasabe and Arivaca are communities of historic significance. Baboquivari Peak has cultural value to
the Tohono O’odham, who believe it to be the center of their world.
Civic Organization
Website www.roblesjunction.org
Robles Responds is a coalition of several small community groups that addresses issues and works for
positive change in the area.
Page 44
ARIVACA
Vital statistics
Population: 695 in immediate town area,
(U.S. census 2010)
Area: 130 square miles. The area
considered the town has designated
commercial areas as established by
Pima County. Land area primarily ranch lands sold in 40 acre parcels to individuals.
Location: Sixty miles southwest of Tucson, 23 miles west of Interstate Highway 19.
Elevation..... 3,800 feet
County Supervisory: District 3
Website www.arivaca.net
Arivaca was an O’odham village known as Aribac in 1695, when Father Kino was setting up his missions
in the Pimeria Alta. It became a mining and ranching area in the 1800s and became a federal town site in
1916. The remote town now has retirees, commuters, ranchers, and those wishing to live a quiet country
life. Mary Kasulaitis, the local historian, describes her town in her Village of Arivaca—A Short History,
as “in many ways...a remote backwater, retaining the flavor of an Old West mining and ranching town.”
People move to Arivaca to experience limited governmental control. The town is deliberately
unincorporated but has organizations, groups, and individuals that meet the needs of the community.
Civic Organization
Website www.arivaca.net
Provides a preschool, event venue and limited overnight quest accommodations.
Arivaca Coordinating Council Human Resources Group
· This group works with the county to provide social services for low income, disabled and elderly
people
The Arivaca Family and Community Education Association
· This association has restored the old school house and now runs it as asmall community center in
town, with an adjoining park. The association is funded by some county grants and self-funded.
Arivaca Health Services, Inc.
· The Arivaca clinic was started by part of a network of rural clinics funded by the federal Public
Health Service and local contributions
Arivaca Community Center
· Built with HUD funds and now supported by the community
· Used for children’s programs, town meetings and social events
· It includes a performance stage, playground, and skate park
· Provides emergency fire and medical services
Arivaca Humanitarian Office
· Helps residents deal with living on the border issues
Other organizations include: Arivaca Artists’ Co-op, Arivaca Community
garden and 4H
Page 45
AVRA VALLEY/ PICTURE ROCKS
Vital Statistics
Population: 15,613 (2010)
Area: 346 square miles
Location: The Avra Valley is defined by the Roskruge, Waterman, and Silverbell mountains on the west,
Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Monument on the east, Tohono O’odham Garcia Strip on
the south, and Pinal County on the north.
Elevation: 2,079 feet
The cultural and historic resources of the Avra Valley are the products of thousands of years of human
settlement from the earliest prehistoric times to modern times. The town of Silverbell and the Silverbell
ghost town are examples of communities historically linked to mining in the West. Today the large
community of Picture Rocks is an unplatted settlement east of Saguaro National Park West. Historic uses
of mining, ranching, and farming in the valley continue, but now rapid private development and a pattern
of growth dominated by unregulated development of individual lots along with a few platted residential
subdivisions is taking hold.
Civic Organization
Citizens for Picture Rocks
· This is a voluntary community organization formed in 2002 to urge the county to improve law
enforcement in the area. It is now active in community cleanup as well
· It promotes volunteers to help the sheriff’s office with its new Walk and Watch program to fight
crime and to help with a quarterly citizen cleanup effort. Dues are voluntary, but only those who
pay dues may vote
· The committee meets monthly
CASAS ADOBES
Vital Statistics
Location: North of Tucson, bordered by Oro Valley and Marana
The Casas Adobes area, just north of the City of Tucson, was mostly cattle ranches and citrus orchards
until the 1920s, when ranches were sold off in parcels of land for home sites. In the 1950s, Italian-born
Sam Nanini developed three subdivisions on about 300 acres that became the heart of the Casas Adobes
community. The homes were built with adobe from which the community gets its name.
In 1997, Marana initiated an effort to annex the area, and from 1997 to 2001 activists tried to incorporate
to defend against annexation, but the attempt to incorporate was finally defeated in 2001. In 2003, Oro
Valley annexed the commercial centers at the Oracle/Magee intersection.
Page 46
Civic Organization
There are many neighborhood associations in Casas Adobes that work together to promote quality of life
issues including crime and nuisance prevention, and with the County Board of Supervisors on compliance
with county code issues, as well as on transportation, annexation, and other issues that affect the greater
area. These organizations are volunteer, public organizations with no restriction on participants and with
no powers to fine or enforce regulations. Some are listed below:
· The Northwest Community Coalition (NWCC) (a coalition of more than thirty neighborhood
associations)
· Casas Adobes Neighborhood Association
· Casas Adobes West 2 Neighborhood Coalition
· The Central Village Alliance
· Shannon/Magee Neighborhoods Association,
· The Northwest Area Transportation Coalition (NWATC)
· La Canada Magee Neighborhood Association
There are also many private homeowners associations in the area.
CATALINA
Vital Statistics
Area: Approximately 17 square miles
Location: Twelve miles north of
Tucson on Arizona Highway 77 sitting
next to the Pinal County line.
Website www.OurCatalina.com
Did you know…
There are more than seven
communities in Pima County
with over 5,000 population that
are not incorporated as
municipalities?
Catalina is a small residential community set in wide-open spaces close to the Catalina Mountains. It was
founded in 1950 when the ranchers E. B. Garner and his wife started selling parcels of their 112-acre land.
San Manuel copper miners settled in the area with others who wanted rural or more affordable lives. In
1959, Lloyd Golder III from Chicago bought the large Rail N ranch, renamed Golder Ranch, and in the
1960s began subdividing for mostly wildcat development. Tucson commuters, retirees, and original
homeowners now give the area an eclectic mix of residents. Recently one large planned residential
development has been built in Catalina, and business development along Oracle Road is increasing.
Civic Organization
Greater Catalina/ Golder Ranch Village Council
· The council disseminates information between community and the county and other local
governments
· There are local annual elections for membership of the council. One-third of the (number of)
council members is elected every year. Members are elected at large
Page 47
CATALINA FOOTHILLS
Vital Statistics
Area: 44.5 square miles
Location: Just north of Tucson’s city limits, from First Avenue on the west to Sabino Canyon Road on the
east and from River Road on the south to the Coronado National Forest line on the north.
The area in Pima County that stretches along the lower south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains is
generally referred to as the Catalina Foothills. Once all native vegetation and sparsely populated, the area
is now mainly developed. Much of the area was acquired by John Murphey in 1928 in a successful bid to
buy 7,000 acres of the public land. Murphey wanted to develop a Mexican hacienda style community with
amenities to attract prominent buyers from the East Coast who wished to spend the winters in the desert.
Murphey divided his land into large parcels, creating the Catalina Foothills Estates (CFE) on which he
placed strict Covenants Codes and Restrictions (CC&Rs) in order to maintain the desert and protect
property values. This area is roughly bounded by River Road on the south, Skyline/Sunrise on the north,
First Avenue on the west and Hacienda del Sol on the east, and includes an area west of the northwest
corner of Skyline and Campbell.
CC&Rs in areas CFE No. 1 through No. 4 expired in 1980. Some property owners have reinstated the
basic CC&Rs. CFE No. 5 and No. 6 maintain original covenants. CFE areas No. 7 through No. 9 have
their own CC&Rs and boards as does area No. 10. Condos and townhomes in any of the areas have their
own CC&Rs and boards. The foothills area holds many resorts, gated communities, retail and office
complexes, and shopping centers, in addition to thousands of homes and apartments.
Civic Organization
The Catalina Foothills Association (CFA) Website www.cfatucson.org
· This is the largest among many homeowner associations and gated communities in the Foothills.
The CFA encompasses nine residential areas (numbered 1 through 9) that were eventually turned
over to the CFA from the original Murphey Trust
· A board of fifteen to eighteen elected representatives from areas No.1 through No.9 (area No. 10
does not participate in the association.) is elected annually for staggered three-year terms.
· The mission of the CFA is to act on behalf of all the residents on matters that affect Catalina
Foothills Estates Nos. 1 through 9
· Participating residents pay dues and elect board members
· Committees oversee complaints and compliance of the CC&Rs for areas Nos. 1 through 6. Areas
No. 1 through 7 have their own boards and oversee their own CC&Rs, but do bring issues of
concern to the association
Page 48
GREEN VALLEY
Vital Statistics
Population: 28,570 (estimated, 2004), 31,200 (estimated 2012)
Location: Green Valley is in the Santa Cruz Valley, twenty-three
miles south of Tucson on Interstate 19.
Size: 17 square miles
Green Valley is part of the original San Ignacio de la Canoa Land Grant from the King of Spain. In 1964,
a development company started the current community primarily as a retirement community. In 1966
several Green Valley homeowner associations came together to form the Green Valley Community
Coordinating Council (GVCCC). The GVCCC incorporated as a 501c(4) in 1973 with six homeowner
associations. Today there are more than 73 homeowners associations (HOAs) represented, plus many
institutional members represented on the council.
Civic Organization
Website www.gvccc.org
The GVCCC or “The Council” is a volunteer government but with no legal municipal authority
· It works with the many homeowner associations (HOAs) in Green Valley; and any enforcement
powers come from the CC&Rs of the HOAs as they work together
· Its purpose is to manage community issues, promote a common voice when dealing with the Pima
County government, alert members to legislative actions that could affect them, and to advocate
for retiree residents
· It is a 501c(4) Arizona Corporation
· Board of Representatives
• Each members HOA (73 in 2013) selects a representative to the board (This represents 90
percent of Green Valley residents). More than 50 local organizations and businesses send
representatives
• HOAs get proportional vote based on their size; institutional members get one vote
· Executive Board
• The Executive Board has eleven members (6 officers and 5 members at-large)
• They are elected every two years in March.
• Executive board members must be from a member HOA
· Staff is two-and-a-half paid employees and 350 volunteers
MT. LEMMON /SUMMERHAVEN
Vital Statistics
Population: 90 permanent residents (2010)
Location: 25 miles northeast of Tucson, high in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National
Forest
Page 49
Mt. Lemmon/Summerhaven is a small village in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. It is a
resort community serving skiers in the winter and Tucson and Phoenix residents seeking cooler
temperatures in the summer. The Summerhaven area was originally used by the U.S. Army at Fort
Lowell in Tucson as a military camp in its campaign against the Apache Indians, in the 1870s and 1880s.
Summerhaven suffered major losses from the Aspen fire in 2003.
Civic Organizations
The Mt. Lemmon Firewise Committee
· After the Aspen Fire on Mt. Lemmon in 2003 the residents of Summerhaven and the Mt. Lemmon
Fire District formed the Mt. Lemmon Firewise Committee to promote fire safety within and
adjacent to the community
· The committee also has as members the Arizona State Land Department, the U.S. Forest Service,
the Mt. Lemmon Domestic Water Improvement District, Pima County, the Santa Catalina Ranger
District, and the Coronado National Forest
· This committee and the Mt. Lemmon Fire District have become the focus for community
organization
Mt. Lemmon Woman’s Club
GREATER VAIL AREA
Includes: Vail, Rincon Valley, New Tucson, Empire Mountains, Corona de Tucson
Vital Statistics
Population: 21,753 (in 85641 Zip Code)
Elevation: 3,235 ft.
Location: The community center is on Colossal Cave Road one
mile north of Interstate 10. The Greater Vail Area stretches
from Houghton Road eastward to J6, from the Rincon valley
south to the Santa Rita Mountains.
Congressional District 2
State Legislative District 14
Fire Districts
· Corona de Tucson Fire Department
· Rincon valley Fire Department
The Greater Vail Area southeast of Tucson stretches from the Rincon Mountains, south to the Empire and
Santa Rita Mountains. The original town site is located between two sets of railroad tracks and
bookended by its two remaining historic buildings, the 1935 Shrine of the Santa Rita in the Desert and the
1908 Vail store and post office. The community of Vail began in 1880 as a Southern Pacific railroad
siding. It took its name from ranchers, Walter and Edward Vail who settled in the area in the late 1870s
and established the Empire and Vail Ranches.
Page 50
The Greater Vail Area contains many historical and scenic treasures, including the Cienega Creek
Preserve, Arizona Trail, Colossal Cave Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park East. The topperforming, community minded Vail United School District attracts families and is one of the reasons that
Vail was named one of the top 10 places to live in the U.S. The Greater Vail Area has grown over 350%
from 2001 to 2013. The rural ranching and railroad community has become a highly desirable place for
suburban families.
Natural & Cultural Resources
· Cienega Creek Preserve
· Rincon Mountains
· Empire Mountains
· Santa Rita Mountains
· Colossal Cave Mountain Park
Civic Organizations
Cienega Watershed Partnership (CWP)
CWP facilitates cooperative actions that steward the natural and cultural resources of the Cienega
Watershed while enabling sustainable human use. CWP will accomplish this by generating and
dispersing resources to enable the implementation of strategies, programs, and projects that contribute to
the ecological health, long-term sustainable use, and cultural richness of the region. www.cienega.org/
Empire-Fagan Coalition
This coalition has a strictly-defined mission: to protect our community by opposing open-pit quarries in
Davidson Canyon and in the New Tucson area.
Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce
To represent and support business and promote the economic growth and enrichment of the greater Vail
community. www.greatervailchamber.com
Rincon Institute
The Rincon Valley Farmers & Artisans
Market is a project of the Rincon
Institute, a non-profit organization that
works to integrate community and
conservation throughout the Rincon,
Vail, and Tanque Verde valleys.
www.rinconinstitute.org
Santa Rita Foothills Community Association
Vail Education Foundation (VEF)
The Mission of the VEF is to expand the possibilities of both curricular and extracurricular education in
the Vail School District through strategic funding of projects and strengthening community relationships.
http://www.vail.k12.az.us/our-district/vail-education-foundation/
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The Rincon Valley Coalition
Formed in 2004 to protect and preserve the unique qualities of Rincon Valley and to proactively facilitate
informed, environmentally and culturally responsive land-use planning and development in the
community.
www.rinconvalley.org
Vail Community Action Board (VCAB)
Recognizes the importance of staying in tune with the needs and direction of the community it serves. All
members serve on a committee. There are five major committees with subcommittees under each.
Strategic Planning and Operations, Fund Raising, Community Development, Community Relations and a
Vail Student Action Team.
www.vailcab.org
Vail Preservation Society
Since 2006 the Society has actively worked to engage community members of all ages in the work of
historic preservation utilizing preservation efforts to provide educational opportunities and enrich
community life. Connecting community through local history is at the heart of every project.
www.vailpreservationsociety.org
Community Newspaper
The Vail Voice
www.TheVailVoice.com
NOTE: Petitions were circulated in summer of 2013 for Incorporation. The Nov 2013 vote turned down
Incorporation.
TANQUE VERDE
Vital Statistics
Location: Twelve miles northeast of Tucson near the foothills of the Rincon and Catalina Mountains
Tanque Verde began as a small community, at that time remote from Tucson. Settled by ranchers arriving
in the West around the 1860s. The name Tanque Verde means green tank in Spanish and refers to the
algae in a large and prominent stock water tank in the area in the late 1800s. The Tanque Verde Valley
was frequented by Apache and the U. S. Army from Fort Lowell.
In 1866 the Tanque Verde Valley established the Tanque Verde School District as the first significant
political entity of the community, and the school board remains a central community organization today.
Tanque Verde has grown alongside Tucson, but because much of its land is in covenants controlling
growth and ensuring land preservation, it has grown at a slower rate. By the 1960s it had become a true
suburb of Tucson. Today it is an affluent community, with a strong equestrian influence.
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Civic Organization
Tanque Verde School District Board
· This is a central organizing body for the community which has always taken pride in its schools
Tanque Verde Valley Association (TVVA)
TVVA has been in continuous existence since its incorporation in 1949. It is a non-profit organization
with no political affiliations or loyalties and is the oldest and largest organization of its type in Pima
County. The TVVA exists for the purpose of offering a unified voice on issues that impact the
communities within the Tanque Verde Valley. The board and membership work to guide the orderly
development of the Tanque Verde Valley, to uphold zoning codes, to preserve or improve the unique
scenic and ecological characteristics of the area, and to address new issues that may arise.
www.TVVA.org
TUCSON MOUNTAINS
Vital Statistics
Location: West of Tucson, bounded on the north by
Twin Peaks Road, on the east by Silverbell Road, on
the south by Starr Pass Boulevard and on the west by
Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park.
Elevation: Highest point is Wasson Peak, 4,690 feet.
County Supervisory: Districts 3, 5
This once far-flung community located in the desert foothills and Tucson Mountains was settled by
homesteaders in the earliest years of Arizona territory and statehood by those that valued rural life and the
land that makes it possible. It remains a community dedicated to preserving expanses of land to support
that life style.
Civic Organization
Website www.TucsonMountainsAssoc.org
The Tucson Mountains Association
· This is an association of some of the homeowners in this vast area.. It now has 300 fee-paying
members
· Formed in 1934 by homesteading families who organized to fight for needed roads and utilities
· Incorporated as a nonprofit in the early 1950s, and works mostly for conservation of lands and to
protect its way of life by working with public authorities
· It is not a conventional homeowners’ association since it is voluntary and represents a small
proportion of the families in the area
· While it has no legal status to enforce positions it takes, it has raised money to purchase land to
hold in conservation until the county agrees to buy it to protect it
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TUCSON ESTATES
Note: updated information since the 2006 handbook has not been provided
Vital Statistics
Area: 3.9 square kilometers
Location: North of Ajo Way on Kinney Road, south of Old Tucson Studios in the southwestern area of
Tucson.
Tucson Estates is a community of manufactured homes in a single development that is so large it has
become a self-contained, town-sized community.
Civic Organization
Tucson Estates Property Owners Association, Inc. (TEPOA)
· In 1991, the individual residence owners of Tucson Estates created TEPOSA to hold the title to
the common areas of Tucson Estates. It has the powers of a standard incorporated homeowners
association
· Because it is the size of a medium town, it has more ties with the county than most homeowners’
associations
Website: www.TucsonEstates.com
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Map - Major Un-Incorporated Communities & Incorporated Cities
(white ovals depict un-incorporated areas, dark outlines define the five incorporated cities)
Pima County
Page 55
Ch.6.Incorporated Cities and Towns
6. INCORPORATED CITIES AND TOWNS
General Information on Municipalities
OVERVIEW
Pima County incorporated communities
Current
Date of
Population Incorporation
City of Tucson - charter city
520,116
1877
South Tucson - city
5,652
1940
Oro Valley - town
41,011
1974
Marana – town
34,578
1977
Sahuarita - town
25,259
1994
(source of population: U. S. census, quick facts)
Municipal Incorporation
Local governments in Pima County, as in all counties in Arizona, exist at the will of the state and can
form only if permitted by the state of Arizona. Local governments thus derive their right to exist and most
of their powers from state law. A local area may choose to become a “municipal” incorporation under the
Constitution of the state of Arizona, (see Article XIII), governed by Arizona Revised Statutes (Titles 9).
Incorporating gains the city or town the power to impose taxes, borrow money and make ordinances to
spend those resources to improve their area of jurisdiction. Local government services are limited
geographically and to certain municipal functions, except in charter cities. Municipalities have some
autonomy from the state—more than counties do. Municipal functions include police and fire protection,
operating trial courts and jails, and providing residents with water, sanitation, and other vital utilities, as
well as land use management. They may provide other services as well, such as community development
and social services to low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Unincorporated informal communities do not have the powers or all the services of incorporated towns or
cities. However, Pima County is permitted by law to provide some municipal services to these areas.
How to incorporate as a municipality
To become incorporated as a town or city, two-thirds of qualified electors in the area must sign a petition
and submit it to the Pima County Board of Supervisors. No election is needed if this many sign, unless
the area is within six miles of an existing incorporated area. Then they must have approval of the
neighboring city or town. Incorporation can also occur if 10 percent of electors propose an election and a
majority vote in favor of incorporation.
A city or town can also disincorporate and become part of the county again by special election in which
two-thirds of the qualified voters vote in favor of disincorporation. The city of South Tucson has
incorporated, voted to disincorporate and then voted again to incorporate.
Types of Municipal Government
General Law Town
Incorporated towns have some autonomy in practice but legally they are not sovereign governments. In
practice this means the state mandates in detail how they are to operate and if and when there is a conflict
between a town or city’s ordinances and state laws, the state laws over local matters prevail.
· Incorporated towns are required by the Arizona Constitution to have a council (rather than a town
meeting legislative process)
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·
·
·
·
To qualify to become a town, an area must have a population of at least 1,500
A town may not adopt its own charter
As long as it has a council, a town may decide whether it would like a strong or weak mayor
system
Most town officials have job descriptions mandated by the state
General Law City
· A city must have a population of at least 3,000
· A city council is given more discretion to hire and fire, fix
salaries, and prescribe duties of appointive officers
· A city council may be bigger than that of a town - up to
seven members
· A city council has more discretion in exercising regulation
within the city
· Pima County has one general law city, South Tucson
Did you know...
Municipalities in Pima
County often rely on
volunteers to provide basic
services?
Charter City
· A charter city must have a minimum population of 3,500
· Only incorporated cities may adopt a charter and be granted
home rule
· A city must go through the state determined process to become a charter city—elect a charter
commission to draw up a charter and then have a majority of the city’s population approve it in an
election
· Having a charter means the state has given a city a grant of power to run things locally on their
own discretion. They have virtual sovereignty over local affairs—how to organize, what officials
to have, how to elect them, and what local issues to address. They have standing to sue the state if
it interferes in their processes or decisions that comply with overall grants of power.
· Pima County has one charter city, the City of Tucson
· Charter cities are sometimes called home-rule cities. But the term, “home-rule” commonly refers
to the specific provision that allows any city or town to go over the state imposed spending limit if
a proposition allowing overspending is passed by a majority of voters
Forms of Government
All local governments in Pima County have a council/manager form of government. This differs from a
mayor-centered city or town where the mayor is the operating executive. A council /manager form of
government means a council makes the laws and a professional manager executes the law. A mayor in
this system, whether directly elected or selected by the council members, serves more as a legislative
leader and an honorary head of the city or town. The office of mayor was weakened in the progressive
era at the turn of the century when reforms transferred the appointive and firing power and supervisory
powers to a professional city or town manager.
The Arizona Constitution mandates that local government may only have a council (common council)
form of government. This means they are not permitted to have a town meeting form of government
where the population would actually make the laws. But the state leaves to each jurisdiction the decision
whether they have a strong executive mayor or an appointed manager. All have opted to have a
professional manager rather than the strong mayor system.
Annexation
An incorporated city or town may grow in area by annexation - legally adding on geographical areas to
their jurisdictions. Adjoining areas may ask to be annexed to a town or city to gain more municipal
services. Cities or towns in Arizona may annex areas where more than 50 percent of the property owners
Page 57
as well as more than 50 percent of the assessed valuation ownership sign petitions in favor of annexation,
and the city or town passes an ordinance. State law requires that an annexation touch existing municipal
boundaries and there are some limits on the shape of the annexed areas to avoid long corridors.
Marana, Oro Valley, and Tucson have had aggressive annexation plans and programs.
Municipal Government Finances
Local governments in Arizona must, by state law, pass a budget annually, balance their budgets, and may
not switch money from fund to fund informally. In addition they are required to use a different
accounting method (GASB-34) from private business.
Revenues
Sources of local government funding are mainly sales (business privilege) taxes, fees for services, fines
and forfeitures collected from those who have engaged in illegal activity, revenue sharing from the federal
and state governments, and charges for licenses and permits. Municipalities use the primary property tax
sparingly because there is a strict state limit on its use for local governments. Under state law
municipalities may not levy income taxes.
Sales Tax (Transaction Privilege Tax)
The local sales tax is the major revenue
source for most local jurisdictions in
Pima County. Cities and towns and the
state (but not the county) use the sales
tax. Currently the state of Arizona has
a 5.6 percent sales tax. Municipalities
add their tax rate to that.
Property Tax
Property tax is a source of revenue
available to all local governmental
jurisdictions - state, county school
districts, municipalities, fire districts,
flood control districts, and so forth. Each jurisdiction determines its own tax rates and levies its own
taxes, but the county does all the administration of property assessment and collection of local taxes
through the County Assessor and County Treasurer. Only the county, the City of Tucson, the City of
South Tucson and school districts and other special purpose districts now levy property taxes.
Privately-owned property is subject to taxation unless exempted by statute (schools, churches, certain
buildings for use of indigents, properties owned by a qualifying 501c(3) charitable organization or
properties owned by governments). Your property tax statement includes the taxes for all the local
jurisdictions. Property owners may appeal their property’s assessed valuation to the county Board of
Supervisors sitting as a Board of Equalization. The appeal may then be taken to the State Board of Tax
Appeals.
The Primary Property Tax
The Primary Property Tax may be used for anything, that is, any town or city purpose. This is
called general fund money or general government operations. However, it is not a major source of
funding for municipalities because of the strict state limits on the amount of allowed annual
increases.
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The Secondary Property Tax
The secondary property tax is called a limited tax since it may be used only for paying back bond
monies—retiring debt from general obligation bonds for capital expenditures, such as buildings,
streets, sewers, special assessments for fighting flood control, and overrides of tax limitations.
The secondary property tax is based on the full cash value of the property, which is a figure
determined by the assessor to reflect current market value. Citizens, by voting to purchase bonds,
invest in governments the authority to make these capital improvements. If citizens so vote, a
secondary assessment may be levied for a temporary budget override not to exceed one year.
Municipalities are prohibited from using
· An income tax
· A gas tax
· A real estate transfer tax
Other revenue sources
Local taxes and fees (the county also uses these):
· State shared sales taxes
· State shared income taxes
· State shared highway user revenue funds (HURF)—for maintaining major roads
· Other local taxes; use tax, transient tax (tax on hotel rooms or mobile homes), franchise fees,
alcohol and beverage tax
· Licenses and permit fees, business licenses and permits, residential and commercial building
permits, sign permits, special inspection fees, grading permit fees, and so forth
· Charges for services: court costs, fees for recording documents, zoning and subdivision fees
(impact fees), user fees for swimming pools, parks and recreation fees for special programs, fees
for defensive driving classes of justice courts, town hall usage fees, fines and forfeits,: court fines,
bail bond forfeitures, and so forth
Municipal Bonds
There are three kinds of Municipal bonds a city or town may use to fund its capital projects:
· General Obligation Bonds finance buildings, streets, schools, and projects that do not generate
revenues
· Revenue Bonds finance projects that generate income for services (sewer, water). That generated
income covers the cost of the project over time
· Improvement Bonds finance local improvements (street lighting, etc.) in a specific area designated
as an improvement district. The bonds must be approved by 51 percent of property owners in the
proposed district for this type of bond. All property owners are assessed to meet the interest and
principal of the bonds
Certificates of Participation (COP)
A certificate of participation is like a bond in that a municipality borrows from the public investors to
fund a capital project and then pays the investors back. But it differs in that the municipality pays back
the loan by means of “leasing payments” for use of the facility which is technically owned by the
investors. Further it starts those payments immediately on completion on the project and not after an
extended period waiting for the bond to mature. An investor prefers COPs because repayments start
immediately. The municipality likes COPs because they do not count in a municipality’s indebtedness,
thus can be available even after the city has reached its allowable bonding limit. The leases are paid
through annual appropriations by mayor and council and not through general obligation bonds.
Page 59
Intergovernmental Funds
Pima County and its municipalities receive a substantial portion of their revenues from federal and state
government. These include:
· State shared income tax - for general fund
· State shared sales tax- for general fund
· State shared Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF) – use restricted to development and
maintenance of roads
· State restricted grants—many specific grants, for example, safe schools grants, and so forth
· Federal grants restricted to specific purposes, e.g.
• Health (Medicaid funds go to support the state ACCCHS program administered at the county
level)
• Law enforcement and court programs
• Public transit
• Community service and community development block grants including housing
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Homeland Security funding
Legal Limits on Revenues
Primary Tax Rate Limitation
The State Constitution [Article IX, Section 20(1)] imposes a limit on local government primary taxes of
two percent increase per year over the prior year’s maximum allowable primary levy, plus an added
amount due to growth of construction during the year. For this reason, property tax does not play an
important role in local revenues.
City charters may also impose a limit on the primary property tax rate. For example,
Tucson’s charter limits the tax rate to no more than 10% over the previous year’s rate.
There is also a statewide controlled assessment system to hold the value of property down.
Property values can only go up a certain amount and cannot fluctuate as markedly as the
market value.
Secondary Tax Rates—Not Limited
Secondary tax rates are not subject to these state limitations for either increases in rates or property
values.
Expenditures
Municipal expenditures, as with other public budgets, are constrained by locked-in expenses. Bond debts
have to be paid on time. Legal mandates to provide certain services must also be met. But State law has
placed even more constraints on local government discretion in budgeting by limiting not only (tax) rate
increases but by mandating strict expenditure limits as described below.
Legal Limits on Expenditures
State Mandated Limits On Municipal Spending
Before a political subdivision draws up its budget every year (or every two years) the state’s Economic
Estimates Commission (EEC) determines its expenditure limit or cap for the county and each local
government or district. This limit is based on the jurisdiction’s actual spending for 1979/80 (when the
law requiring the limit passed) and adjusted each year for population growth and inflation..
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Municipalities may exceed the spending limit only if a
majority of voters pass what is called a “home rule”
initiative. This vote signifies the city or town may exceed
the spending limit but only for a period of four years.
Local Governments’ Self-imposed Limits
Cities and towns and districts may impose more stringent
limits than the state on their spending or tax rates. For
example, the City of Tucson imposes a $1.75 per $100
assessed value limit on the combined primary and secondary
property tax rate they levy.
Did you know...
Municipalities have more
independence from the
state than the county
government?
Accounting and Budget Funds
Local governments in Pima County keep accounts according to the State Accounting Manual using
“funds” to separate different uses for the monies. These “funds” are also the way the budget is organized,
so it is important to know this when you are reading the budget or locating revenue information for your
special interest.
· The General Purpose Fund is money that goes to pay for general government purposes, for
example, police, fire, parks, and so on. It comes mainly from taxation revenues. This is the only
revenue that can be used for any legitimate government purpose.
· Restricted Funds (sometimes called special revenue funds or named for a specific restricted grant).
include a variety of grants that are designated for particular programs and must be accounted for
separately - for example, grants for low-income housing, youth programs, transportation, or
virtually any specific purpose. They also include secondary property taxes collected for a specific
purpose, or bond monies collected for a specific major capital project.
· Enterprise Funds - these are monies earned by the government charging fees for an enterprise they
run, such as water sales, garbage pick-up or parking garages, golf courses, or use of an airport. The
revenues go back into running the enterprise much as a private business.
Budget Adoption
There are both state and city legal requirements for the budget; its process, dates for completion, and
some of the content. The budget process does not start with an independent determination of need but
with the total amount the statewide Economic Estimates Commission calculates for each political
subdivision. Then the county and municipalities determine needs and adjust them to the limit. The budget
must be adopted by the third Monday in July of each fiscal year.
Budget Revisions
Spending is monitored during the year and if any budget shifts are needed, they may only be made by the
administrators if they are within “purposes” defined as the basic units of the budget, e.g. housing, parks
and recreation, and so forth. The cities and towns may define what they mean as a specific purpose but
usually it is defined as a separate “department;” Pima County defines purposes as “programs.” State
statutes state that local governments may only change budget allocations between “purposes” (from
department to department) with a majority vote of the council or supervisors. No changes may be made
between funds. And no increases in the total budget may be made.
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Audits
State law requires each incorporated municipality to have an annual independent audit. Towns may do an
audit every two years but must include each of the years. Audit reports are public record.
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
State law requires each municipality to produce an annual report, the Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report (CAFR) on actual revenues and expenditures. The CAFR is public record.
Specific Budgets
Although specific budgets are quickly outdated, the budgets for 2013-2014 are presented in the county
and municipalities chapters to describe how budgets are constituted, where revenues originate and where
those funds are expended. Knowledge of such basics can help keep up with and understand future
budgets.
Single Family Residence Impact Fees (also called Development Fees)
Impact fees are one-time charges on construction in new residential developments (and to new
commercial properties - not covered here). These development fees are to cover the added costs of
infrastructure and services that the county or municipal governments must now assume because of the
new development. Included are such things as roads, parks and recreation, fire and police services, flood
control, wastewater management and even administrative overhead related to these services.
Municipalities vary in what services they say will be included.
New State Regulations on Municipal Impact Fees
Municipalities in Pima as well as in other counties in Arizona are now modifying their impact fees to
comply with a new state law SB1525 passed in 2011. SB1525 requires municipal impact fees reflect only
costs attributed to necessary public services that are directly impacted by a new development. “Necessary
public services” are limited to those services specifically listed in the statute. Municipalities must bring
their impact fees into compliance with the new law by August 1, 2014. During the transition period until
2014, certain modifications must be made as well. That means municipalities are in the process of
transitioning to fees that will be different for different areas in the jurisdiction. A generic fee will not be
allowed if the impacts are determined to be different for different areas.
Pima County
$5,478 (Unincorporated areas only)
City of Tucson
* See below
City of So. Tucson
Has no impact fees
Town of Oro Valley
$6,203
Town of Marana
* See below
Town of Sahuarita
Has no impact fees
(Note that the new state law, SB1525, 2011, does not apply to counties)*
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In this table it should be noted that, The City of Tucson and the Town of Marana are currently
transitioning. Marana charges vary by the specific development. We have put the other general
impact fees in the chart above as a general indication. But these figures will change in 2014 to
comply with the new state law. For further details on current fees please go to the municipality
web sites and click on impact fees. You can search the web for more information on the new
Arizona state law.
Page 63
City of Tucson
Vital Statistics
Population:.520,116 (2010 census)
Location: Located in the valley of the usually dry Santa
Cruz River, the City of Tucson is encircled by the Santa
Catalina, Rincon, Santa Rita, and Tucson mountain ranges.
Location of Tucson City Hall
255 West Alameda Street, Tucson, Arizona, 85701
The mayor has an office in city hall, Each council member has an office in the ward he/she represents
Mail: P.O. Box 27210, Tucson, Arizona, 85726-7210
Contact Numbers
General Information: Telephone: (520) 792-CITY (520) 792-2489)
To leave a message for mayor and council 24 hours a day: (520) 791-4700
Web site: www.tucsonaz.gov E-mail: [email protected]
History
The City of Tucson, commercial and cultural center of Pima County, second largest city in Arizona, and
now the thirty-second largest city in the nation, takes its name from an early village, called Chuk Son, or
“mountain dark at base,” by the Tohono O’odham. Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, the Jesuit explorer,
first mentioned the area north of his San Xavier del Bac Mission in his 1697 records as “the richest soil in
the whole fertile Santa Cruz Valley.”
In 1776, Hugo O’Conor, an Irishman, who fled from British-occupied Ireland and was fighting for the
Catholic King of Spain in the Pimeria Alta, made the decision to move the northernmost garrison of New
Spain in Tubac farther north to Tucson to expand the Spanish reach. His decision to establish the Royal
Presidio de San Augustin del Tucson with its walled city, marks the founding of the “Old Pueblo”,
modern-day Tucson.
After the liberation of Mexico from Spain in 1821, the Old Pueblo became the military outpost for the
province of Sonora, Mexico, to fight the Apaches. It remained the northernmost outpost of Mexico until
the arrival of American soldiers in 1856 after the purchase of the area by the United States, the Gadsden
Purchase (1853).
Tucson became part of the United States and for the next few decades it remained isolated and in battle
with the Apaches. When Arizona was organized as a federal territory in 1863, Tucson was its capital.
First the mines and then the arrival of the transcontinental Southern Pacific Railroad in Tucson in 1880,
attracted a greater Anglo/American population. Fort Lowell, established in 1873 as a military outpost,
defended the population against Apache raids. It was deactivated as a fort when the Apache raids ended
with Geronimo’s surrender in 1886.
In 1912, when Arizona became a state, Tucson was its largest city and remained so until the 1920s when
it was surpassed by Phoenix. Tucson had been incorporated as a city in the Arizona Territory in 1877 and
became a charter city in 1883. Its charter was reformulated in 1929 when it was changed from a strong
mayor system to a council/city manager form of government. This change turned over to a city manager
Page 64
many of the powers of the former mayor and council and the city staff was professionalized under a civil
service system. Tucson operates under that 1929 charter today.
Did you know …
The Rio Nuevo project started in 1999 for revitalizing downtown Tucson.
Rio Nuevo is no longer under the authority of the City of Tucson, but
directly under the state of Arizona. The Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities
District authorized by the voters in 1999 was formed as a special state
municipality district to qualify for special state shared funding known as TIF
( Tax Increment Funding). In 2009 The Arizona Legislature strengthened
the Legislature’s control by reconstituting a new Rio Nuevo District Board
of Directors now appointed by the Governor, President of the State Senate
and the Speaker of the State House of Representatives.
Want to know more?, go online to Rio Nuevo- Tucson for more information.
Form of Government
Council/Manager
Charter City
Legislative Branch:
Mayor and Council
Powers
· Legislate and form policy for improving the city by enacting ordinances
· Legislate changes in structure or governing processes for the city (charter city); some
changes require voter approval
· Pass “resolutions” that express opinion, will, or intentions of the mayor and council. These
are not entered into the code
· Appoint city manager, city clerk, city attorney and the city magistrates
· Approve city manager appointment of the police chief and fire chief
· Adopt budgets
· Establish and appoint members to citizen advisory boards, commissions and committees
· Set tax rates and levy property taxes
· Place charter changes and sales tax increases on the ballot
Meetings
· Where: City Hall, council chambers, first floor
· When: four Tuesdays a month (except in July and August when the Council meets only the
first Tuesday), at 5:30 p.m.
· Are open and public except for some financial, legal, or personnel issues
· Meetings are cablecast live on Channel 12
Members
· Six Council Members and the mayor, a total of seven
· Serve four-year staggered terms
· Elections are held in November of every odd-numbered year
· Are nominated by primary election in the ward in which they reside, but are elected atlarge
· Are elected in a partisan election
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Staff
City Clerk
· Appointed by mayor and council for a two-year term
· Is the official secretary to the council
and custodian of city records, deeds,
subdivision plats, and other documents
Did you know…
· Runs elections and oversees campaign
The City of Tucson charter has
finance
been amended more than 50
times since 1929, compared to
· Publishes official notices; is historian
for the city
the U.S. Constitution, which has
been amended 27 times since
· Provides administrative support to all
1789?
citizen boards and commissions
City Attorney
· Appointed by the mayor and council
for a two-year term
· Legal advisor to mayor and council and all city departments, boards, commissions, and
agencies
· Prepares city ordinances, resolutions, contracts, opinions requested by the council
· Represents the city in litigation in which the city is a party
· Prosecutes criminal misdemeanor offenses that occur in the city
Advisory Citizen Boards, Commissions, and Committees
· Tucson has more than sixty boards and commissions of volunteer citizens who assist and
advise mayor and council
· Citizens are selected by the City Council
· Administered by the city clerk
· see Chapter 1 for more about boards and commissions and other volunteer opportunities
for citizens
Executive Branch
The Mayor (and Vice Mayor in his/her absence)
· The Mayor is directly elected, the Vice Mayor is selected by council from among its members
· More a legislative mayor than an executive, but provides informal executive and legislative
leadership
· Runs council meetings
· Heads the agenda committee, which determines issues the council will handle
· Is the official representative of the city for legal and ceremonial purposes
· Votes on all issues except the firing of the city manager
· Not formally responsible for running the city (see City Manager, below)
City Manager
· The de facto chief executive/administrator of the city
· Appointed by the Mayor and Council
· Responsible for administering the city departments and carrying out the policies set out by the
Mayor and Council
Page 66
·
·
Formulates a budget to be finally approved by Mayor and Council and oversees its
implementation
Hires and fires the fourteen department heads, those not appointed directly by the Council
The Departments (see the organization chart)
· Department heads are appointed by the city manager; and some also must be approved by the city
council
· Organized into three categories for budget “purposes”
• Public Safety/Neighborhood Services
• Operations
• Support Services
Please go to City of Tucson adopted budget 2014 for further details.
Did you know …
A key feature of government in Tucson is the active role neighborhood
associations take in relating to government and shaping city policy.
Unlike homeowners’ associations, which are private entities,
neighborhood associations are public organizations officially recognized
by the city council. Aside from encouraging residents to work together
on issues of concern to the neighborhood, the city of Tucson cultivates
the forming of neighborhood associations to relate more closely to
grassroots residents. In addition, neighborhood associations that register
with the city Department of Housing and Community Development are
permitted rights of notification and of participation in proceedings that
deal with crimes and potential hazards in their neighborhood. There are
currently 134 registered Neighborhood Associations in Tucson.
For more information go online to Neighborhood Associations, Tucson.
Judicial Branch
The City Court office of Tucson has:
• Twelve regular magistrates
• “Special magistrates” (who are attorneys) are on call for extraordinary circumstances such as
needing to hold court in the evenings.
• Two “ limited special magistrates” ( sometimes known as hearing officers) who are not attorneys
and don’t have permanent appointments. Special magistrates help with regular magistrate
functions, for example, hearing civil traffic violations
• City court (magistrate) judges are appointed by the mayor and council upon recommendation of
the City Magistrate Merit Selection Commission
Magistrate Courts have two supervisors:
• The city manager and Mayor and Council in the executive branch
• The state court system through a presiding magistrate
City Elections (See Chapter 2 on elections and voting.)
Page 67
City of Tucson Finance and Budget
Refer to “Municipal Government Overview – Finance” at the beginning of this chapter for general
information and the meaning of budget terms
Legal Constraints on City Taxing and Spending
• State law limits spending in fiscal year 2013. The limit was $712 million, plus some revenues
from grants, etc. that are not subject to spending limits, for a total budget of $1.3 billion
• In 2005, voters passed a “Home Rule” Initiative that gives the City of Tucson discretion to spend
over the state imposed spending limit for four years
• There is a state limit on primary property tax levies of 2 percent per annum
• Tucson City Charter imposes a city property tax levy limitation of $1.75 per $100 assessed for
both primary and secondary levies - more restrictive than state
Budget Process
• Tucson now has a biennial budget cycle; basic planning is done for two years, but numbers are
adjusted and the budget is voted on (adopted) annually
• Fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30
• Public hearings are held in May and June. The council also takes comments from the public by
telephone and the internet
• The deadline for the council to pass a budget is June 30
• Copies of the budget are online and at the library
City of Tucson Fiscal Year 2013 Budget
The City of Tucson’s budget for Fiscal Year 2013 is offered as a benchmark the size of budget, the tax
rates, and revenues and expenditures.
Revenues come from three sources: 1) taxes and general fees (council members have discretion on how
to spend); 2) charges for services government provides (to cover the costs of an enterprise); and 3) grants
and bonds etc. (restricted funds that can only be spent on specific purposes.)
The budget allocates money by program. A particular program may get funds from more than one
category of revenue. Thus, a program may have multiple sources of funding.
City of Tucson Budget - Fiscal Year 2013
Total budget: $1,314,260,260
Sales tax: 2 percent
Property tax: The principal tax rate for general support for Tucson city government is 0.4213. The rate of
secondary tax, which goes to cover the bond debt of the city, gives a total tax rate of 1.26 per $100
assessed valuation.
Need more information on the City of Tucson budgets? how to get a copy? Or about public hearings?
Agency that handles the budget: Budget Department in Support Services. www.tucsonaz.gov/budget
Budget pdf file http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/files/budget/14book-op.pdf Telephone: (520) 791-4551
More property tax information can be found at www.pima.gov/Taxes
Page 68
Did you know…
The Tucson International Airport (TIA) is not run by the city of Tucson, but by
a nonprofit corporation, the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) formed in 1948.
At that time Tucson was requested to develop a civilian airport with federal land
deeded to the city for the purpose, but the city had neither the money nor the
desire to take on this task. TAA was formed by several businessmen. It leases
land from the City of Tucson and owns some additional land. It receives no
local tax dollars, instead it uses airport revenue bonds and charges airline
tenants for services. It has a nine-person governing board to oversee policy
decisions gets input from community members, and 300-person staff that
handles operations. More information: www.tucsonairport.org
Page 69
Page 70
City of South Tucson
Vital Statistics
· Population 5684 (2012 US Census estimate)
· Area 1.2 square miles
· Located approximately 1 mile south of downtown Tucson, South Tucson
is bounded by 25th and 26th Streets on the north, by 40th Street and I-10
on the south, by South 12th Avenue on the west
and by the Union Pacific Nogales Railroad on
the east
· Elevation 2,389 feet
· Location of City Hall: 1601 South 6th Avenue, South Tucson, 85713
· Contact Numbers: (520) 792-2424 website www.southtucson.org
History
In 1940, the Town of South Tucson incorporated in an area just outside the Tucson’s city limits. Over
time, the City of Tucson acquired all of the land around South Tucson, but never succeeded in convincing
the business and property owners of South Tucson to agree to annexation. In 1975, the Town of South
Tucson incorporated as the City of South Tucson and today remains an independent municipality
surrounded entirely by the City of Tucson.
The population of South Tucson is 78.5% Latino/Hispanic, and 10.7% Native American. South Tucson is
home to many popular Mexican restaurants and is known for its strong cultural heritage as seen in the
architectural styles and colorful outdoor murals reflecting its ethnic history. South Tucson is home to
over 300 businesses. This large number can be explained partly by the requirement that owners of rental
properties have a business license.
Form of Government
· Council/Manager
· General law city
Legislative Branch: City Council
· Passes ordinances to direct city improvements
· Selects the Mayor from among council members at the first meeting after an election and city
manager, city magistrate, and city attorney
· Adopts budget
· Establishes and appoints members to citizen advisory boards and councils
Meetings:
· Place: City Hall, 1601 S. 6th Avenue
· Time: 2nd, 3rd, 4th Mondays, 6:00pm
Page 71
Council Members
· 7 members, including the mayor
· Serve staggered 4-year terms, with 3 members elected in odd-numbered years (2013) and 4
members elected the next odd-numbered year (2015)
· Elected first in a partisan primary on the second Tuesday in March, followed by an at-large
general election held the following second Tuesday in May
· Receive an annual stipend including benefits
Executive Branch - Mayor (and Vice-Mayor)
· Selected by the council
Did You Know …
· Mayor selects the vice-mayor
The City of South Tucson
· Provides informal legislative leadership and
is 1.2 square miles and
executive oversight
completely surrounded by
· Chairs council meetings
the City of Tucson?
· Presiding officer votes only in event of a tie
· Officially represents the city
· Does not administer the city (see the city manager below; City Council Appointees)
City Council Appointees
· City Manager - executes Council policies and ordinances and appoints City Clerk who works for
both manager and council. The clerk prepares agenda, council minutes oversees elections, is
custodian of all official documents, including legislation, resolutions, minutes, licenses and
permits. Appoints following department heads:
• Public Works – traffic, solid waste, parks, adult probation/elder care, streets and drainage
• Human Resources- employment and personnel requirements
• Housing Authority- two low income housing programs totaling 304 vouchers
• South Tucson Prevention Coalition- to reduce youth substance abuse
• Department Services- building inspection to ensure building code compliance
• Transportation and Flood- street, public transportation, and pedestrian design, flood control
projects
• Bid Opportunities
• Finance Department
• Information Technology
• Planning and Zoning
• Fire Department
• Police Department
·
·
·
City Attorney, provides legal advice to the council and departments
City Magistrate, presides over and administers city court
Citizen Boards and Commissions, includes Board of Adjustments, Economic Development
Council, Industrial Development Authority, Merit System, Municipal Property Corporation, Fire
Public Safety Retirement System Board and Police Public Safety Retirement System Board,
Planning and Zoning Commission
Page 72
Judicial Branch
South Tucson has one magistrate appointed by the City Council (see the Judiciary and Courts Section).
City Finance and Budget, 2013
information and the meaning of budget terms.
The City of South Tucson employs about 80 people, including elected officials, full and part-time
workers, fire-fighters, and police. City sales tax is 2.5%, and restaurant tax is 3.5%. Property tax is $.25
per $100 valuation. The 2011-12 budget indicates revenue and expenditures of $13,504,069. The City of
South Tucson relies heavily on federal, state and municipal grants for a portion of its budget. Of 2012
revenue, 35% was generated from general funds such as tax revenue, with much of the remainder
considered restricted funds, reserved exclusively for Community Development Block Grants, police
funding, and low-income housing distributions.
Intergovernmental Agreements and Other Contractual Arrangements
Contracts with other municipalities provide essential services South Tucson does not provide, such as
water service is provided by the city of Tucson Water and sewer services by Pima County Wastewater.
SunTran bus service is coordinated through the Regional Transportation Authority, and the Public Library
next to City Hall is a branch of the Pima County Library System.
Animal control is provided through a contract with
the City of Tucson. The South Tucson Fire
Department is reinforced by neighboring fire
departments. Additionally, South Tucson is
represented on the Pima Association of
Governments (PAG) and the Regional
Transportation Authority (RTA).
Page 73
Organization Chart
Page 74
Town of Oro Valley
Vital Statistics
Location: Three miles north of the Tucson city limits on Oracle Road/Highway 77
Location of Oro Valley Town Hall
11000 N. La Canada Drive, Oro Valley, Arizona, 85737-7015
Contact Numbers
General Information: (520) 229-4700
Web site: www.orovalleyaz.gov
History
Oro Valley was incorporated as a town in 1974, with 2.5 square miles and an estimated population
of 1,000. It has grown rapidly in area through land annexations.
Form of Government
Council/Manager
General law town
Legislative Branch
Mayor and Council
Powers
· Pass ordinances giving policy direction for the town, subject to state law
· Appoint the town manager, the town magistrate, town attorney, the town clerk, and chief
of police
· Adopt budgets
· Establish and appoint members to citizen advisory boards, commissions, and committees
Meetings
· Where: Town Hall, 11000 North La Cañada Drive
· When: the first and third Wednesdays, at 6 p.m.
Council Members
· Seven members including the mayor
· Serve four-year staggered terms
· Elected every odd-numbered year in November
· Elected in at-large, non-partisan elections
· Selects one council member to serve as vice-mayor
Page 75
Staff
Town Attorney
· Appointed by the council
· Gives legal advice to council and town officials
Town Clerk
· Prepares agenda and records minutes of town council meetings
· Under the supervision of the town manager (see below)
Citizen advisory boards, commissions, and committees
· Established and appointed by the town council
· Oro Valley has the following boards, commissions,
and committees:
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Board of Adjustment
• Finance and Bond Committee
• Development Review Board
• Municipal Property Corporation
• Industrial Development Authority
• Water Utility Commission
• Storm Water Utility Commission
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Citizen Corps Council—Emergency Preparedness
Did You Know …
Oro Valley does not
collect any property tax to
fund the town. It relies on
other taxes and fees.
Executive Branch
Mayor
· Directly elected
· Termed chief executive but has only honorary duties representing the town
· Is a legislative mayor who provides informal policy leadership to the town
· Runs council meetings; votes on all issues
· No formal supervisory or administrative duties
Town Manager
· Appointed by the mayor and council
· Serves as chief administrative officer of town government
· Appoints town officers except the town magistrate, town attorney and the chief of police
· Supervises staff and department heads report to Town Manager, except for the magistrate
and Police Chief
Departments
· Communications
· Constituent Services
· Development and Infrastructure Services
· Finance
· Human Resources
· Legal
· Magistrate Court
· Maps – GIS
Page 76
·
·
·
·
Parks and Recreation
Police
Town Clerk
Water Utility
For specific details about these departments, see the Oro Valley web site, Departments, use this link
http://www.orovalleyaz.gov/town/departments
Judicial Branch
Oro Valley has one magistrate appointed by the town council.
Town Elections (See Elections and Voting, Chapter 2)
Town Finance and Budget
(“Municipal Government Overview – Finance” at the beginning of this chapter contains general
information and the meaning of budget terms.)
The following from Oro Valley’s fiscal year 2013-2014 budget provides a general picture of the
size and organization of city budgets, the tax rate, where revenues come from, and what programs
they fund.
Town of Oro Valley Budget for Fiscal Year 2013-2014
Total Budget: see pie chart next page
Sales Tax: 2 percent ,
Construction Sales Tax: 4 percent
Bed Tax: 6 percent, effective January 1, 2006
Property Tax Rate: No property tax
Page 77
Town of Oro Valley - Revenues Fiscal
Year 2013-2014
1%
Debt Service Funds 1%
Internal Service Funds 6%
6%
General Fund 45%
Capital Projects Funds 16%
Charges for Services 4%
Grants 6%
Impact Fees 6%
Other 0.1%
Taxes 21%
Licenses & Permits 2%
State Shared Revenue 16%
Grants 3%
Other/Misc. 1%
16%
45%
Water Sales 19%
Grants 1%
Other 2%
24%
Special Revenue Funds 8%
Taxes 3%
State Shared Revenue 4%
Other 1%
8%
Total Revenues & Other Sources $62,852,318
Total Expenditures & Other Uses $60,913,592
Town of Oro Valley - Expenditures Fiscal
Year 2013-2014
Debt Service Funds 2%
Debt Service Principal 1.2%
Debt Service Interest 0.8%
General Fund 47%
2%
General Goverment 12%
Police 23%
Dev. & Infranstr. Services 7%
Parks & Recreation 4%
Other Financing Uses 1%
6%
Internal ServiceFunds 6%
General Administration 4%
11%
Capital Proj. Funds 11%
Water Oper. & Maint. 0.5%
Water Capital Outlay 1.3%
Water Debt Principal 2%
Water Debt Interest 1.5%
Roadway Improvements 5.5%
Other Financing Uses 0.2%
47%
26%
Water Personnel 4%
Water Oper. & Maintenance 10%
Water Capital Outlay 6%
Water Debt Service Principal 3%
Water Debt Service Interest 2%
Special Revenue Funds 8%
8%
Town Mgr. Office 1%
Police 0.4%
Other Financing Uses 0.6%
Page 78
Organization Chart
Page 79
Town of Marana
Vital Statistics
Population: 34,961 (2010 census)
Location: In the northeast section of Pima County, northwest of
Tucson from the Pinal County line in the north to Orange
Grove in the south, from Camino de Oeste in the east to Santa
Cruz River Bridge in the west.
Location of Marana Town Hall
11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, Arizona 85653
Contact Numbers
General Information: (520) 382-1999 or 382-1900
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.marana.com
History
Marana is one of the fastest-growing areas in Arizona, almost doubling its population since the
2000 census and increasing its area through annexation. The Marana/Avra Valley area was first
inhabited by the Hohokam Indians, who developed extensive canal systems to use the waters of
the Santa Cruz River for irrigated agriculture and then disappeared by the fifteenth century.
Tohono O’odham were forced out of the area in the 1850s when both Mexican ranchers and Gold
rush miners discovered highgrade copper ore in the Silver Bell Mountains and moved into the
area.
During World War II and the cold war, the federal government built an air base near Marana and
then missile sites around the area. They developed a road system for these weapons systems and
Marana began to grow. In 1961, the Arizona Highway Department and the federal government
removed most of the Marana business district to widen I-10. Consequently there is no “Main
Street” in north Marana, the original town center, and south Marana has become the main
commercial region.
The Town of Marana (about 10 square miles) was incorporated in March 1977 in order to preserve
the local water rights. In early 1979 Marana began an annexation policy to support its services and
is now more than 120 square miles.
Form of Government
Council/Manager
General law town
Legislative Branch
The Mayor and Council
Powers:
· Pass ordinances related to town improvement within strict state limits
· Appoint the town manager and the town magistrate
· Establish and appoint members to citizen advisory boards, commissions, and committees
· Adopt budgets
Page 80
Meetings:
· Where:: Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive
· When: the first and third Tuesdays, at 7 p.m.
Council Members:
· Seven members, including mayor
· Members serve staggered four-year terms
· Elections are held every other year in odd-numbered years in May
· Mayor is directly elected; vice mayor is selected by council
· Members run at large
· Members run in nonpartisan elections
Council Staff:
Town Clerk
· Staffs the council under the
supervision of the town manager;
see below
Town Attorney
· Provides legal advice to the council, under the
supervision of the town manager
Did You Know …
Marana offers 8 to 10 week
courses for citizens who want
to learn about the police and
about how different town
departments work?
Marana Citizen Forum
· Citizens volunteer to assist the council in studying issues, or specific cases that come
before the council and advise council members
· Members appointed by the council following submission of applications
· Forums meet twice annually
Executive Branch
The Mayor
· Termed the chief executive but has only honorary duties representing the town
· Informal leadership of city legislative and executive personnel
· Voting member of the town council
· Runs meetings and breaks tie votes
· Does not have formal responsibility for running the city
Town Manager
· Appointed by the town council
· Executes the policies of the mayor and council
· Administers the town and supervises the town employees
· Appoints and fires all department heads and officials except the town magistrate
· Formulates the budget
Town Clerk
· Appointed by and serves under the direction of the town manager
· Responsible for overseeing elections and official records
· Coordinates relations between the council and the town manager
· Records the minutes for all council meetings
Page 81
Town Attorney
· Appointed by and serves under the Town Manager
· Gives legal advice to town officials and departments, as well as the council
Finance Director
· Develops the budget and provides accounting services
Human Resources Director
· Performs personnel work, reporting to the Town Manager for town employees
The Departments
Development and Development Services
· Oversees five departments related to zoning, public works, and mapping:
• Building Services - building inspection and safety
• Geographical Information Services—mapping services
• Planning - administers planning and zoning commission work
• Environmental Manager
• Public Works - engineering, construction and improvement, roadway
abandonments, roads, and other infrastructure
Operations and Maintenance
· Maintains roads, infrastructure, town facilities, and equipment.
Community and Neighborhood Development
· Oversees programs for affordable housing, the Community Development Block
Grants (CDBG), community cleanup, help for at-risk youth, and for attracting
business and jobs to the area
Municipal Water Department
· Supplies water from groundwater; some parts of Marana are served byTucson’s
Water Department
Police Department
· Provides police protection
Marana Court
· One magistrate (see judicial branch below)
Marana Northwest Regional Airport
· Owned and operated by the town of Marana and handles mostly private planes but
plans to increase commercial flights in the future
Parks and Recreation Department
· Operates parks and recreation programs
Page 82
Department of Community Programs
· Provides citizen education about the town government through workshops on the
departments including police and emergency response; and administers town
partnerships with non-governmental community agencies
Marana has formed partnerships with other public authorities and agencies to provide the
following services:
· Sewer - Pima County
· Solid Waste Management services are handled privately. Developers are required
to provide infrastructure and hook up with Tucson Waste Management
· Fire Service - Marana contracts for fire services with the Northwest Fire District, a
special taxing district
· Marana Public Library is a branch of the Pima County Public Library
· Corrections (jail) is provided through the Marana Correctional Treatment Facility, a
private facility’
· Health - provided through the Marana Health Center, a private facility
Judicial Branch
Marana Municipal Court
· Marana’s Magistrate’s Court has one magistrate appointed by the town council
· Marana contracts with the City of Tucson for public defender services, and with private
attorneys for its prosecutors
Town Elections (See Elections and Voting Chapter 2)
information and the meaning of budget terms.
The following from Marana’s budget is offered to give a benchmark picture of the budgets’ size,
organization, tax rate, source of revenues and types of expenditures. Expenditure is by program. A
specific program may get revenues from more than one type of fund.
Town of Marana Budget for Fiscal Year 2014
· Total budget: $82,882,224
· Sales tax rate: 2 %
· No property tax
Page 83
Town of Marana - Revenues Fiscal Year
2014
Water Fees 10%
Wastewater 5%
Airport 2%
16%
General Fund 44%
44%
Local Sales Tax 26%
Other local taxes, fees &
charges 6%
Sales revenue sharing 11%
Other 1%
Restricted Funds 40%
HURF 3%
Transportation 14%
Grants & Contributions 1%
Other 22%
40%
Total $
Town of Marana - Expenditures Fiscal
Year 2014
Water 9%
Wastewater 5%
Airport 2%
General Fund 38%
16%
38%
Public Safety 14%
Parks & Recreation 4%
Public Works 3%
Other 17%
Restricted Funds 46%
Capital Projects 24%
Debt Service 10%
Special Revenue12%
46%
Total $
Note: Rounding may cause small discrepancies
Page 84
Organization Chart
Page 85
Town of Sahuarita
Vital Statistics
Population: 26,875 (official estimate, 2013)
Location: 19.5 miles south of Tucson on I-19 and 48.2 miles north of Nogales, Mexico
Elevation: 2,844 feet (average)
Location of Sahuarita Town Hall
375 West Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita, Arizona 85629
Contact Numbers
General Information Telephone: (520) 822-8800
Website: www.sahuaritaaz.gov
History
Since its incorporation in 1994, the Town of Sahuarita has grown from a rural community of about 1,900
residents into a modern small town. Sahuarita has grown more than 600 percent from its 2000 U.S.
Census population of 3,242, helping to make it one of the fastest growing communities in Arizona. The
current population is approximately 27,000 inhabitants.
Sahuarita is rich in history. The area was populated by the Hohokam Indian Tribe (200-1450), who were
thought to be highly innovative with an extensive use of irrigation. In 1879, James Kilroy Brown
established the Sahuarita Ranch south of Tucson, naming the town after the many saguaros. The ranch
was used as a stage station between Tucson, Arivaca and Quijotoa. The settlement around the ranch came
to be known as Sahuarito.
Brown sold the ranch in 1886 when Geronimo was active in the area and the settlement declined. Later,
the community experienced resurgence. Today Sahuarita offers a wide range of neighborhoods, from
“pioneer neighborhoods” like Santo Tomas and Sahuarita Village, to master-planned communities like
Quail Creek, Rancho Sahuarita and Madera Highlands.
No one knows exactly when the “o” at the end of Sahuarito was changed to an “a” becoming Sahuarita.
The Town offers residents a quiet, small-town alternative, with many of the amenities associated with
larger communities.
Form of Government
Mayor/Council
General Law Town
Legislative Branch
Mayor and Council
Powers
· To make policy decisions through passing local ordinances within strict state limits
· Town council appoints the Town Manager, Town Attorney and Magistrate
Page 86
·
·
To adopt the Town Annual Budget
To establish and appoint members to Town commissions, and committees
Meetings
· Where: Town Hall Complex/Town Council Chambers
· When: second and fourth Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
Council Members
· Seven members, including the mayor
· Members serve four year staggered terms
· Elections held every odd numbered year in March
· Mayor and vice-mayor are selected by council from among their members
· At-large members
· Nonpartisan elections
Council Staff - Town Attorney
· Is appointed by the town council
· Gives legal advice to the council and
town officials
Did You Know …
The town of Sahuarita is
our youngest
incorporated area? (1994)
Citizen Advisory Boards, Commissions and Committees
· Established and members appointed by the town
council
· Staffed by the town clerk and the relevant departments
· Advise and assistance to the council
· Five citizen boards and commissions:
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Board of Adjustments
• Board of Appeals
• Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Board (PSPRS)
• Parks and Recreation Commission
Executive Branch
The Mayor (and Vice Mayor in his/her absence)
· Is termed chief executive but has only honorary duties to represent the town
· Selected by the Town Council
· Informal political leader
· Runs council meetings
· Votes on all issues
· Not formally responsible for administering the city
The Town Manager
· Directs and coordinates staff to implement Town Council policies and
decisions and handle customer service.
Departments (report to the Town Manager)
· Finance
· Public Works—Town Engineer
· Planning and Building Department
· Human Resource Department
Page 87
·
·
·
·
Town Clerk Department
Police Department
Parks and Recreation
Municipal Court
The Town Manager also contracts with outside agencies or private sources for:
· Fire services: Green Valley Fire District, and Rural Metro Fire, a private company
· Infrastructure for development: Quail Creek Community Facilities District—a financing
mechanism created by the town
Judicial Branch
One magistrate. (See The Judiciary and Courts Chapter 10)
Town Elections (See Elections and Voting Chapter 2)
Refer to “Municipal Government Overview Finance” at the beginning of this chapter for
general information and the meaning of budget
terms.
Did You Know …
Sahuarita is one of the
fastest growing towns in
the U.S.
The following from Sahuarita’s budget for
Fiscal Year 2014 is offered as a benchmark to give a general
picture of the budget size, organization, tax rate, sources of revenue and types of expenditures.
Expenditure is by program. A specific program may get revenues from more than one type of fund.
Town of Sahuarita Budget for Fiscal Year 2014
Total Budget: $95,717,340
Sales tax: 2 %
No Property Tax
Page 88
Town of Sahuarita Charts for Full Year 2014
Page 89
Organization Chart
Page 90
Ch.7.Education
7. EDUCATION
Introduction
Pima County, as of 2013, had more than
152,000 elementary and secondary students.
Those students attend traditional public schools
in 18 school districts, more than 100 charter
schools, private schools and home schooling.
Pima is also home to Pima Community College
and the University of Arizona.
State Board of Education
School districts in Pima County operate under
the direction of the Arizona State Board of
Education. The State Board of Education has
eleven members, including the superintendent
of public instruction, the president of a state university or a state college, four lay members, a president or
chancellor of a community college district, a person who is an owner or administrator of a charter school,
a superintendent of a high school district, a classroom teacher, and a county school superintendent.
Members serve four years. They are appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The state
board’s function is to oversee and implement education requirements throughout the State of Arizona.
Recently, curriculum and tests called Common Core have been approved throughout Arizona and are
being included in all public schools.
State Board for Charter Schools
In Arizona, charter schools are public, state-funded, profit or
non-profit schools. They may be “chartered” by the State
Board for Charter Schools or a school district governing
board, university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Board
of Regents, a community college with more than 15,000
students, or a group of community colleges with more than
15,000 students combined. The Arizona State Board for
Charter Schools provides general supervision over the charter schools it sponsors. It also studies issues
concerning charter schools generally and recommends legislation pertaining to them to the Arizona
Legislature. The board has fourteen members including the Arizona superintendent of Public Instruction,
six members from the general public (at least one from an Indian reservation), two members from the
business community, one charter school operator, one charter school teacher, and advisory members from
the legislature who are advisory only. Board members are appointed by the governor and serve four-year
staggered terms.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected state official, whose term of office is four years.
Official duties include the following:
· Directing the work of all employees of the Arizona Department of Education, which implements
the policies of the State Board of Education
· Executing policies as directed by the State Board of Education
· Apportioning to the counties the state school monies to which each is entitled
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Ch.7.Education
Arizona Department of Education
This is the Superintendent of Public Instruction's
administrative department, which implements the
policies of the Board of Education.
Pima County School Superintendent
Elected by voters in Pima County, the County School Superintendent’s duties include the following:
· Distributing all laws and pertinent instructions to school officials
· Appointing school board or governing board members of school districts to fill vacancies
· Establishing local advisory committees
· Conducting school board elections
· Maintaining teacher certification records
· Overseeing expenditures of most local school districts
· Helping in the formation, dissolution, annexation, or consolidation of school districts
· Apportioning funds to each school district
· Providing discretionary programs to school districts as an educational service agency
· Providing educational services to an accommodation school
Pima County District School Boards (often called governing boards)
Each public school district within Pima County (as in all Arizona counties) has a school board to govern
the district’s schools. School board members are elected by the public for four-year terms. School board
elections are held in the same years as general elections. Those who are registered voters in Arizona,
have been residents of the school district for a least a year prior to election day, and who are neither
employees of the district, nor married to a school employee, may run for the school board. School boards
must meet at least once a month during the school year, most meet twice a month year-round.
District or governing boards are responsible for such matters as:
· Setting goals and establishing policies for education
· Acting as a link between school and the public
· Acting as an advocate for school students
· Purchasing school sites and constructing buildings when authorized by a vote
· Deciding about opening new schools and closing old ones
· Maintaining schools in good condition
· Prescribing promotion and graduation criteria and
curricula
Did You Know …
· Overseeing teaching materials to assure they are not
There are some 70-80
sectarian, partisan, or denominational in character
different languages
· Tracking school attendance
native to the students
· Providing students with adequate supervision
in Pima County schools?
· Providing special education for children with
disabilities
· Maintaining school discipline
· Overseeing school financial affairs
· Providing annual reports to the country superintendent of schools or to the superintendent of
public education
· Overseeing professional staff
· Providing emergency response plans
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Ch.7.Education
School District Superintendents in Pima County
Each school district governing board is responsible for hiring a school superintendent whose duties
include the following:
· Administration of schools
· Overall supervision of district educational programs
· Implementation of school board or governing board policies
Kinds of Schooling in Pima County
Early Childhood Education: Available in several districts, as pre-kindergarden or pre-first grade and in
some private facilities in Pima County.
Traditional District Schools:
Kindergarten – in virtually all elementary schools
Elementary School – generally grades 1-5
Middle School (or Jr. High) – grades 6-8 or 7-9
High School – grades 9-12
Magnet Schools: Public schools at any level with a strong emphasis in one particular subject area, such
as science, music, or drama. Students are usually selected through an application process instead of being
assigned to a school based on their place of residence
Charter Schools: Alternatives to traditional public schools for kindergarten through grade twelve, which
are created and organized by various private groups such as teachers, parents, and/or community leaders
or businesses and which operate independently, but in accord with a pre-approved charter, and may be
non-profit or profit making.
Accommodation Schools: Provide educational services for students who live in the Unorganized
Territory of Pima County, for juveniles in the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center and Pima County
Jail, and for individuals 18-21 who are identified as special education students in the Pima County Jail.
Virtual Schools: Schooling by computer. There is only one in Pima County which operates under the
auspices of Tucson District One. It is an online program with 120 students and one teacher.
Alternative Schools: Offer options to non-traditional students who may not be able to have their
educational needs met in a traditional school setting.
Joint Technological Education District (JTED): A public
high school vocational and technical district for all sophomore,
junior and senior level high school students in Pima County.
Subjects are offered by different schools and by Pima
Community College and may be taken by students of any high
school. Students who enroll in JTED programs earn high
school credit, and in some cases, may earn college credit,
industry certifications, and/or state licenses. While JTED is a district with an elected board, it does not
offer core curriculum, nor award high school diplomas. There are 14 school districts associated with
JTED
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Ch.7.Education
Homeschooling: Students are taught at home by parents. Homeschooled students are not granted
diplomas by the schools for their work, and are not required to take the AIMS test, but may do so. These
students may qualify to take the GED (General Equivalency Diploma) to obtain a diploma. Or they may
work through a correspondence school. School districts have no mandated responsibilities for these
students but may use district funds to help them.
Private Schools: A large number of private parochial and non-parochial schools exist in Pima County for
all levels of schooling.
Page 94
Ch.7.Education
Map - Public School Districts
For a Complete List of Schools by District, click here or use link below.
http://www.schools.pima.gov/images/uploads/public_schools_09-10.pdf
Page 95
Ch.7.Education
Public School Districts in Pima County
District 00
Pima Accommodation School District
Serves the educational needs of the Pima County Jail and Pima County Juvenile Detention
Center
District 1
Tucson Unified School District
Covers central Tucson; the largest school district in Pima County, with more than 50,000
students registered. There are forty nine K-5 elementary schools, thirteen K-8 schools, ten
6-8 middle schools and eleven high schools (including twelve alternative education
programs). Tucson Unified School District features eighteen magnet schools at all levels
and one online school for homebound students.
District 6
Marana Unified School District
Covers Marana and north central Pima County with eleven elementary schools, one
intermediate, two middle, three high schools, one alternative high school, and one on line
learning school.
District 8
Flowing Wells Unified School District
Covers west Tucson and has one high school, one alternative high school, one junior high
school, seven elementary schools, one preschool and one online school.
District 10
Amphitheater Unified School District
Covers northwest Tucson and has three high schools, two kindergarten through eighth
grade schools, three middle schools and eleven elementary schools.
District 11
Joint Technological Education District (JTED)
There are 14 affiliated school districts.
District 12
Sunnyside Unified School District
Covers south Tucson. There are twelve elementary schools, five middle schools, three
high schools, one online school and one early childhood learning center.
District 13
Tanque Verde Unified School District
Covers east and northeast Tucson and has two elementary schools and one junior high
school and one high school.
District 15
Ajo Unified School District
Covers parts of west and north Pima County and has one school, kindergarten through
twelve.
District 16
Catalina Foothills Unified School District
Covers north central Tucson and has one high school, two middle schools, four elementary
schools, and one preschool.
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Ch.7.Education
District 20
Vail Unified School District
Covers the Vail area, with nine elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high
schools.
District 30
Sahuarita Unified School District
Covers the Sahuarita area and has one primary school (preschool through second grade),
one elementary school, one intermediate school (grades three through five), one middle
school, and two high schools.
District 35
San Fernando Elementary District
Covers south central Pima County. It is the smallest district in Pima County and has one
school, kindergarten through grade eight.
District 37
Empire Elementary District
Covers extreme southeast Pima County Students are transported to other districts.
District 39
Continental Elementary School District
Covers the Green Valley area, with one pre school through grade eight. Grades nine
through twelve are transported to Sahuarita high school.
District 40
Baboquivari Unified School District
Covers most of extreme southwest Pima County and the Tohono O’odham Nation. It has
two high schools, one middle school, one intermediate school, and one primary elementary
school.
District 44
Redington Elementary District
Covers the extreme northeastern Pima County. It is a transportation District.
District 51
Altar Valley Elementary School District
Covers south central Pima County. It has one middle and one elementary school.
Pima Community College
Pima Community College (PCC)
operates under the Pima County
Community College District, which
is coterminous with the county boundaries. It was founded by citizen vote in 1966. The district and the
school operate under the direct supervision of the Pima County Community College District Board of
Governors. This board has five members, who are elected for staggered six-year terms.
PCC ranks among the 10 largest multi-campus community colleges in the nation. It has six campuses and
five off-campus sites as well as six adult learning centers located throughout Tucson, Green Valley and
Marana. In 2013-2014 PCC offered more than 5,500 active courses and 182 distinct program areas
leading to certificates and associates degrees. There were more than 53,550 credit and non-credit students
each year. Students may choose classes from a variety of day, evening, weekend, short-term (eight weeks
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Ch.7.Education
or less) and self-paced formats. There are also televised and internet classes. PCC provides customized
degrees and on-site training to business and industry throughout Pima and Santa Cruz counties.
Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC)
TOCC is a two-year college for individuals from all walks of life who want to further their education. It
primarily serves the residents of the Tohono O'odham Nation, but anyone pursuing a higher education
may attend. Classes are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
The University Of Arizona (U of A)
The U of A, the oldest of the three state universities, has its main
campus in Tucson. Other branches include Sierra Vista and Phoenix
Biomedical Campus as well as Agriculture Extension in every county.
It was founded in 1885 as a land-grant college. The U of A is
governed by the State Board of Regents whose members are
appointed by the governor with the consent of the state senate.
The University of Arizona is a world-class public research university
and prides itself on being a student-centered research university. It
offers bachelor, master and doctorate degrees. Adult education and
recreation programs are available to the community; and the library, planetarium, museums, sporting
events, and other facilities are open to the public. There are more than 40,700 students studying at the
University of Arizona.
Other Educational Institutions in Pima County
The University of Phoenix, ITT Technical Institute, and Apollo College are among the largest of the many
private schools and colleges in Pima County. Most offer courses leading to specific professions or jobs.
Financing Public Education
The primary sources of funding for elementary and secondary schools are the local school district
property taxes, and state and county equalization funds. Other sources of income are state land trust
money, state gaming money, and classroom site fund money through the 0.6 percent added state sales tax
voters approved in Proposition 301 in 2002. There are some state special projects, some federal monies,
including Title I, and contributions through school district foundations. Desegregation funds, that go to
some schools that are under court order to desegregate, are not an added source or fund but are actually an
added amount that districts are permitted to tax themselves to cover costs of desegregation programs.
The State Expenditure Limitation
School districts do not determine their level of operating expenditures by the level of district revenues.
Spending is determined ahead of time by the state for each district according to a formula based on:
· A base level of support per student set by the legislature.
· Enrollment in the district.
· The inflation factor since the last year.
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Ch.7.Education
Some other factors, such as court-ordered desegregation, can increase the expenditure limitation for those
few affected districts. This process determines the maximum a local school district may spend - known as
the State’s Expenditure Limitation. The only way a district can exceed those limits is through an
“override” vote by the citizens of the district. Transportation and capital allocations are determined
differently.
State Equalization Assistance
The amount of state aid to local school districts each year is determined by formula. The formula is based
on the primary assessed property valuation in a district. If a poorer district has less property value in their
district than other districts have, and its allowable tax rate under the annual allowable expenditures does
not produce sufficient funds to meet the state expenditure ceiling, the state will make up the difference.
This insures every district has the amount it is allowed under state expenditure limits in order to offer
equality of educational opportunity.
Bonded Indebtedness
Bonded indebtedness or capital expenditures for schools must be approved by the voters in a district.
Capital funding in each district for building or purchase of property is appropriated by the legislature and
financed under state law.
Financing Charter Schools (publicly funded, but privately run)
Like traditional public schools, charter schools get an equalization payment per student each year.
Charter schools can seek state, federal and private grants as well. But they do not have access to property
tax funding that traditional public schools have. Charters do get some added state funding for things such
as transportation and programs for special needs students.
Page 99
Ch.7.Education
Pima Community College Revenues
34% Tuition,
Registration
& Student Fees
($56M)
56% Property Taxes
($93M)
4% State
Appropriations
($7M)
34%
4% General
Fund Applied to
Budget less
Transfers Out
($6M)
56%
4%
2% Gifts, Grants,
Contracts & Other
($4M)
4%
2%
Total Revenues $165,658,000 (2012-2013)
LWVGT
Pima Community College Expenses
20% Administration
($33M)
38% Instruction
($64M)
20%
8% Operations
& Maintenance
($13M)
38%
16% Academic
Support
($27M)
8%
4% Contigency &
Scholarships
($6M)
4%
14% Student Services
($23M)
14%
16%
Total Expenditures $165,658,000 (2012-2013)
LWVGT
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Ch.7.Education
Financing the University of Arizona
10% Other
($174M)
- Other operating Revenues
($62M)
- Capital & Endowmnet
Additions ($61M)
- Other Non-Operating
revenues ($28M)
- Share of State Sales Tax
($20M)
- Investment Income ($3M)
10%
6%
24% Tuition & Fees
($411M)
24%
10%
16% State General
Fund
($269M)
6% Gifts
($96M)
16%
10% Auxiliary
Enterprises
($171M)
34% Grants,
Contracts & Other
Funds
( $564M)
34%
Total Revenues (per IPEDS) $1,684,756,000
LWVGT
Expenditures at the University of Arizona
9% Empl. Relations
($115M)
2% Travel
($20M)
- In State $2.2M
- Out State $17.9M
2%
22% Personal Services
($279M)
9%
22%
9%
13% Professional &
Outside Service
($173M)
9% Net Transfers
Out (In)
($117M)
13%
42%
3%
3% Misc.
( $34M)
- Library Acquisitions $3.7M
- Land & Buildings $3.4M
- Capital Equipment $26.7M
Total Expenses Estimated FY 2014 $1,284, 340,500
LWVGT
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Ch.8.Special Taxing Districts
8. SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS
What are special taxing districts?
The special taxing district is another form of local government in Pima County. Special taxing districts
are also called special-purpose districts, single-purpose districts, improvement, or special assessment
districts.
These are independent governments authorized by the state through the county or municipalities to tax
and spend on a specific service for a designated geographical area. Their area of jurisdiction is typically
smaller than the existing municipal or county boundary areas, but is sometimes coterminous with county
boundaries or is regional and crosses county boundaries. Special taxing districts are common in
unincorporated areas that want more municipal services than the county provides, such as firefighting.
These public authorities are the fastest-growing sector of government nationwide as well as in Pima
County. We are most familiar with school districts.
Pima County has over fifty-one special taxing districts not counting the much more numerous
improvement districts.
How are districts formed?
The process of formation differs for different types of single-purpose district. State statutes specify the
procedure for forming a district. Generally the procedure involves approval by the county and a ballot
referendum by those citizens who will be affected by the new district.
What’s the reason for having special taxing districts?
Special districts conventionally are formed in unincorporated rural or suburban areas to obtain specific
urban services without having to create a city government or be annexed by a city. School districts are
formed, like other single-function districts, so that a separate set of leaders can devote more attention to a
particularly complex area or problem. Increasingly, regional districts are formed to handle problems that
overlap city and county boundaries, such as transportation or environmental pollution. And districts are
being formed within cities or towns to benefit from dedicated taxes or more flexible financial
arrangements. Some districts form to allow citizens more control over a specific function than a unit of
general government affords.
Types of special taxing districts
Arizona Revised Statutes authorize the formation of many different types of special districts including
districts to provide schools, fire protection, water, pollution control or sewage disposal, flood control,
libraries, health services, and street lighting or other community improvements. Each type must adhere to
the applicable state statutory provisions.
Governing boards of districts
Special districts usually have governing boards appointed by officials of other governments or elected by
the residents of the district. District boards are nonpartisan. In some cases the county board of supervisors
or a city council may function as a district board, or supervisors or council members may serve on boards.
District boards are held accountable by periodic election of board directors and through reporting and
review requirements of the county or state.
Page 102
Taxing and bonding authority
Districts generally are funded by property taxes which since the county acts as the tax assessor and
collector for all local governments, appear on your county tax bill (see chapter 3 on county finance and
budget). Bonding must be approved by the voters in an election.
The Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District in the cities of Tucson and South Tucson uses the state
TIF (tax increment financing) mechanism to fund its projects. The TIF program allows the district to
draw upon future revenues from the state sales tax in that district to pay back bond monies
Special taxing districts in Pima County
The number of special districts have increased rapidly in recent years. Arizona has more than 1,600, Pima
County has over fifty-one. The growth in the number of special taxing districts in Pima reflects the rural
nature of the county. Very little of Pima’s geographical area is incorporated. Therefore, these
unincorporated areas form special districts to
deliver needed municipal services, such as
Did You Know …
water, sewage services, street lighting, roads, or
Special taxing districts
fire protection. But incorporated areas can also
are the fastest-growing
form them, especially when a specific area or
sector of government?
neighborhood seeks to improve itself or its
services.
School districts
School districts are addressed separately in the previous chapter, Chapter 7
Fire districts
Fire districts raise funds and operate fire fighting services for the unincorporated areas listed below. Six
of these districts contract with Rural/Metro, a private company, for fire protection and emergency medical
services. The remainder operate their own full-time fire services, unless indicated otherwise.
Avra Valley
Corona De Tucson
Drexel Heights
Golder Ranch
Green Valley
Heritage Hills (Rural/Metro)
Hidden Valley (Rural/Metro)
La Cañada (Rural/Metro)
Mt. Lemmon (Combination paid/volunteer staff)
North Ranch/Linda Vista (Rural/Metro)
Northwest Fire District
Picture Rocks (Mostly volunteer?)
Rincon Valley (includes Vail)
Sabino Vista (Rural/Metro)
South Tucson
Three Points
Tucson
Tucson Country Club Estates (Mostly volunteer; small paid staff)
Why (Mostly volunteer?)
Page 103
Flood control districts
Pima County Flood Control District:
In 1978, after major floods, the Arizona Legislature passed legislation mandating all Arizona
counties to establish flood control districts to address flood planning and prevention measures.
The district in Pima covers the entire county and has as its board the County Board of Supervisors.
It has major programs in structural flood control facilities, flood-prone land acquisition, and flood
plains management. It also operates a flood ALERT system.
Facilities districts
A facilities district is set up as a funding mechanism for infrastructure needs of a limited area with
concentrated population, such as new developments. The following are in Pima County:
· Gladden Farms Community Facilities District
· Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District (City of Tucson)
· Vanderbilt Farms Community Facilities District (Town of Marana)
Water districts
Green Valley Domestic Water Improvement District
Marana Domestic Water Improvement District.
Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement District
Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAP)
Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District
Arizona Water Banking Authority
Health districts
Ajo/Lukeville Health District
Transportation districts
Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).
Library district
Pima County Library District.
Irrigation districts
Avra Valley Irrigation District
Cortaro/Marana Irrigation District
Flowing Wells Irrigation District
Silverbell Irrigation District
Special improvement districts
Probably the most numerous of special taxing districts, special improvement districts (SIDs) may
be formed by property owners to improve or enhance their neighborhoods, such as improvements
to pavement and sidewalks, curbs and gutters, public safety, fire protection, refuse collection,
street cleaning, and landscape maintenance in public areas. Improvement districts may be formed
if a petition for the formation of the district is presented to the governing body of the jurisdiction
in which such area is located.
County Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) are too numerous to list here. Information can be
found at https://webcms.pima.gov/government/improvementdistricts/
Page 104
In the City of Tucson there are the following Districts:
· City of Tucson Business Improvement District
· Street Light Improvement Districts (there are 21)
· La Cholla Boulevard Improvement District (commercial property only)
· Cimmaron Foothills Improvement District
Wastewater management districts
Pima County has one countywide wastewater management district.
Stadium district
Pima County Stadium District, a countywide district, was formed as a financing mechanism to
support the development of the TEP stadium.
Page 105
Map - Tucson Area Fire Districts
Page 106
Ch.9.Regional and Intergovernmental Structures
9. REGIONAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL
STRUCTURES AND COORDINATED EFFORTS
Introduction
Disperse population growth in Southern Arizona
remains steady so that local governments must address
many concerns at a regional level. Impacts of
environment, water, air quality and transportation
policies don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries, they
require cross-jurisdictional solutions. Shrinking
budgets at all levels of government make cooperation
critical for optimum regional solutions and foster more
cost-effective delivery of services through economies
of scale.
Some metropolitan areas in the United States have
formed regional or consolidated governments—
regionalizing a single government to handle both
county and city functions. Pima County, however, has
tried to coordinate efforts of its many jurisdictions in
selected specific policy areas.
Pima Association of Governments (PAG)
Website: www.PAGregion.com
Information: (520) 792-1093
History and Purpose
Pima Association of Governments (PAG) was established in 1973 as a federally recognized
metropolitan planning organization for Pima County. The federal government mandated that such
bodies be established to plan regionally and to review federal grants that would have a regional impact.
PAG is a nonprofit organization. PAG provides a forum for elected officials to discuss and coordinate
their plans for solving problems that cross jurisdictional boundaries, and its staff provides and analyzes
data in support of that planning.
PAG works to develop regional cooperation and to build consensus among jurisdictions to work
together on regional programs. Following are the major PAG planning efforts:
·
PAG Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and PAG Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):
PAG conducts long-range and short-range transportation planning with its members. Long-range
planning identifies anticipated available funding to meet long-term transportation needs. Shortrange planning addresses short-term capital improvement needs
·
Regional Transportation Authority Plan (RTA): The Regional Transportation Authority
members jurisdictions and regional stakeholders developed a self-funded, 20-year regional
transportation plan. The plan is funded by a half-cent transaction privilege tax ( a sales tax on
rides). Members of the PAG Regional Council serve as Members of the RTA Board. Each
governing body has different officers (for more information, see below.)
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·
Watershed Planning Program: The goal of the PAG program is to preserve or improve water
resources in the county’s watersheds and to protect the water supply from storm water pollution
through research, planning and technical assistance. PAG’s “Clean Water Starts With Me”
outreach campaign is one example of a collaborative effort among member jurisdictions to spread
the storm water pollution prevention message across the region ( see Water in Pima County, an
overview, below)
Members
PAG members include Pima County, City of South Tucson, City of Tucson, Pascua Yaqui Tribe,
Tohono O’odham Nation, Town of Marana, Town of Oro Valley, Town of Sahuarita, and the Arizona
State Transportation Board (ASTB). PAG is governed by a Regional Council comprised of chief
elected officials from each of PAG’s member jurisdictions and a representative from the Arizona
Transportation Board (for transportation issues) only. PAG also involves appropriate federal, state, and
local agencies in its planning.
Please note: The formal status of the following two programs can be confusing especially after reading
the above sections. These programs were created as autonomous entities but the boards are coincident
with the PAG board and PAG manages their planning and implementation. Know that it is not an exact
description but perhaps it is simplest to think of them as boards operating in specific policy areas under
the general planning efforts of PAG.
Pima Association of Governments:
Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)
Website: www.RTAmobilty.com
History and Purpose
The Arizona Legislature passed legislation in 2004 to establish the Regional Transportation Authority
of Pima County granting it legal authority to implement a regional transportation plan. The Regional
Transportation Authority is a mechanism by which jurisdictions within a common geographic boundary
can plan and implement transportation projects or programs serving regional needs with funding from a
dedicated tax. It has authority beyond a mere coordinating body: No one jurisdiction may veto a plan
that the voters approve.
In 2005, the RTA developed a $2.1 billion, 20-year regional transportation plan after extensive public
outreach. On Nov. 30, 2005, the RTA Board adopted the plan and placed it on the Pima County ballot
for May 16, 2006. The plan and an accompanying half-cent transaction privilege tax were approved by
Pima County voters in May of 2006. The plan and tax are effective through June 30, 2026. Any
significant changes to the plan must be submitted to the voters.
Membership
RTA members include Pima County, City of South Tucson, City of Tucson, Pascua Yaqui Tribe,
Tohono O’odham Nation, Town of Marana, Town of Oro Valley, Town of Sahuarita, and the Arizona
State Transportation Board (ASTB). The RTA is governed by the RTA Board which is comprised of
chief elected officials from each of PAG’s member jurisdictions and a representative from the Arizona
Transportation Board.
PAG staff manages the RTA through a memorandum of understanding. The RTA is the fiscal manager
of the $2.1 billion RTA plan. Most of the projects in the RTA plan are implemented by RTA member
jurisdictions.
Page 108
Pima Association of Governments:
Water Quality Management Planning Agency
(Wastewater Management)
Website: www.PAGregion.com
Pima Association of Governments (PAG) is the federaland state-designated water quality management planning
agency for Pima County, except for tribal lands.
Did You Know …
Pima County operates the
wastewater plants but the City of
Tucson owns the lion’s share of the
effluent water it produces? Both the
County and the Tohono O’odham
Nation retain a portion.
Under the Federal Clean Water Act, Section 208, the
planning agency is required to have an area-wide
wastewater management plan. That plan was completed
in 1978 and was most recently updated in 2006. It is
referred to as the 208 Plan.
The Pima County Wastewater Management Department (PCWWM) is the federally Designated
Management Agency (DMA) for eastern Pima County with the exception of the Town of Sahuarita
which is its own DMA. In 2013, the Town of Marana became the DMA for much of its planning area.
PCWWM collects, treats and disposes of wastewater in the area which includes Tucson, South Tucson,
Marana, Oro Valley, and some of the developed unincorporated areas. PCWWM is financially selfsufficient. It uses no tax dollars, but funds the system using sewer user and sewer connection fees.
An Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Tucson and Pima County in 1979 gave
Pima County the right to use up to 10 percent of the effluent (treated wastewater) produced at the two
major wastewater treatments plants in the City of Tucson. Tucson has rights to use 90 percent of the
effluent. In 2000, a supplemental IGA gave the county control of effluent produced at nonmetropolitan
treatment facilities.
Please read the section below, “Regional Water Planning and Management”, which places the Water
Quality Planning Management Agency in the context of all water related functions in the County. PAG
has only limited water functions.
Pro- Neighborhoods
Website: www. proneighborhoods.org
History and Purpose
PRO Neighborhoods is an organization funded by a private/public partnership in Pima County. It was
formed in 1994 to build strong neighborhood communities by nurturing skills of grassroots groups. It
works with neighborhoods in all jurisdictions of Pima County - in both incorporated and unincorporated
areas - to discover and utilize their own human and physical resources to grow stronger. It provides
technical assistance and workshops on how to involve people, raise funds, organize, and develop other
skills to help the community.
This program works particularly with Tucson’s Department of Housing and Community development
and Pima County’s Department of Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation.
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Membership
Partners in funding and overseeing this program are the City of Tucson, Pima County, United Way of
Tucson and Southern Arizona, and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona.
Sonoran Desert Conservation
Please see the Pima County Government section of this book for information on responsibility for
implementing Sonoran Desert Conservation. The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan was created by a
wide variety of jurisdictions and private and non-profit entities and is an example of regional
cooperation. The County Government/County Administrator’s office headed up the planning.
Currently, the Division of Sustainability and Conservation of Pima County’s Public Works Department,
is the contact point for the implementation of the Plan.
Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO)
TREO is a non-profit organization that promotes economic and business development in the Tucson
region. It is a collaborative effort of government and private partners. Funded by its partners and other
grants, TREO handles federal and state tax incentive programs to support local business. It’s focus is
on business recruitment, especially new entrepreneurial endeavors, and high quality jobs.
Current partners include: The City of Tucson, Pima County, The City of South Tucson, the Towns of
Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita, University of Arizona, Pima Community College, many private
businesses and non-profits.
More information available online at www.TREOAZ.org
COOPERATIVE REGIONAL EFFORTS
The following two programs are not formal regional programs, and there are no central or regional
management authorities. We offer a brief overview of how these two issues are handled in Pima County
to assist citizens who may be are confused by the complexity of government organization.
Land Use Planning and Zoning
Planning
How land will be used and how buildings will be grouped on the land has been planned for centuries. The
formalization of this process, however, largely took place in the twentieth century with the recognized
need to protect the public’s health and safety from the deteriorating conditions of rapidly growing towns
and cities. Land use planning generally results in plans intended to guide future growth patterns to avoid
incompatible use in close proximity. Arizona law requires that counties, towns, and cities adopt general
or comprehensive plans that establish policy direction for future growth and development. Jurisdictions
must update these plans every 10 years. A jurisdiction may also prepare more specific plans, such as area
or neighborhood plans, but these must be in compliance with the general or comprehensive plan.
Zoning
Zoning is a regulatory device for implementing land use plans. It involves dividing a jurisdiction into
zones or districts according to the present and potential use of properties for the purpose of controlling
and directing the use and development of the properties. Generally, in incorporated and unincorporated
Pima County, zones are designated by their use, such as “residential,” “office,” “commercial,” and
“industrial.” Each use zone is generally divided further for more specific types of types of uses, such as
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“single-family residential.” Along with specifying use, zoning regulates building height, lot coverage
(density), and similar characteristics. Changes to an existing zoning (e.g., variances, rezoning) may be
requested following prescribed processes.
The following table provides some general information regarding Pima County’s and the incorporated
jurisdictions’ administration and legislation for planning and zoning
Planning or
Zoning
Related Item
Department(s)
responsible for
preparing,
implementing,
& administering
land use plans
and zoning
PIMA COUNTY
Webcms.pima.gov
Planning &
Zoning,
Development
Services Dept.
Citizen
Planning & Zoning
Planning &
Commission
Zoning
Commission
(advises on
land use policy,
plans, &
zoning)
General or
Comprehensive
Comprehensiv
Plan adopted in
e Plan
2003, Updated
(establishes
plan underway as
land use and
of 2013
[Note: County plans
other policies
do not have to be
important to a
ratified by voters.]
livable
community)
Zoning Code
Pima County
(establishes
Code: Title 18,
regulations
Zoning
regarding
permitted land
uses and
development
standards)
*Specific information as of Fall 2013
TUCSON
www.tucson.gov
Planning &
Development
Services Dept.
Planning &
Community
Development
Div., Housing &
Community
Development
Dept.
Planning
Commission
Jurisdiction*
ORO VALLEY
www.orovalleyaz.gov
Planning Div.,
Development &
Infrastructure
Services
MARANA
www.Marana.com
Planning Dept.
Development
Services Center
SAHUARITA
Suahuaritaaz.gov
Planning & Zoning
Division, Planning &
Building Dept.
Planning & Zoning
Commission
Planning
Commission
Planning & Zoning
Commission
General Plan
adopted and
ratified in 2001.
New plan,
adopted in July
2013, to be on
Nov. 5, 2013,
ballot.
General Plan adopted
and ratified in 2005.
Updated plan
underway as of 2013.
General Plan
adopted and
ratified in 2011.
General Plan
adopted in 2002 and
ratified in 2003.
Unified
Development
Code
(Tucson Code,
Chapter 23B)
Zoning Code
Land
Development
Code
Sahuarita Town
Code: Title 18,
Zoning
Other departments, divisions, or offices in a jurisdiction may also be involved in the development and
implementation of land use plans. Some examples include a real estate division for government land
acquisition, a historic preservation office for identifying historic and cultural resources, a transportation
department to help in the planning of multi-modal transportation systems for access to land uses, and a
housing department to consider mixes of housing types.
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Public participation is generally a requirement throughout the preparation of land use plans. Public
hearings are required prior to adoption of plans, rezoning, etc. by decisions makers.
Regional planning is the focus of Pima Association of Governments (PAG), which is a “metropolitan
planning organization.” This designation allows PAG to receive federal funds to address transportation,
water quality, air quality, and population growth across jurisdictions.
While there are established processes to create a plan or develop a property, each potential project usually
generates its own specific questions about policy and regulatory interpretation. Agency staff is available
in Pima County and the incorporated jurisdictions to answer questions and to assist with plan reviews,
permit applications, and other such requirements.
Regional Water Planning and Management
(Please note the Wastewater Management function for PAG explained above is only a part of all water
issues. The following is an overview of water policy in Pima County.)
For centuries, most of Pima County’s water has come from
underground and non-renewable sources. Completion of the Central
Arizona Project (CAP) canal in the 1990s, now allows water to be
taken from the Colorado River, a renewable source, to our area.
There are currently no other economical ways to bring more water
to our area, so conservation and reuse are necessary to help sustain
long term water supply.
Authority and Responsibility
Over time a complex decentralized governmental structure
has evolved to deal with water in our region. There is no
regional water management agency. Responsibilities are
divided among the Arizona Department of Water
Resources (ADWR), Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Arizona Corporation
Commission (ACC), Central Arizona Water Conservation
District (CAWCD), Pima Association of Governments
(PAG), Pima County Wastewater, Tucson Water, several
municipal water utilities, and numerous private water companies.
Did You Know. . .
The ADWR oversees a
process and hydrologic model
developers must use to show
adequate water exists for new
developments?
ADWR does overall planning. All of urban Pima County is in the Tucson Active Management Area
(AMA). There is a long term plan for the AMA and state law requires that anyone who wants to drill
new wells other than for individual use, must show a 100-year Assured Water Supply that can be done
in several ways. For details see www.adwr.state.az.us. ADWR also oversees water recharge projects,
and drilling of wells by individuals,
Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has responsibility for water quality matters and, in
cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, issues water quality permits, including
those for wastewater treatment, water reuse, and safe drinking water.
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The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has jurisdiction over private water companies, but not
municipal utilities.
CAWCD manages the CAP canal and oversees allocation and pricing of CAP water, which is used
throughout much of southern Arizona.
Who Provides Water?
The City of Tucson operates a water utility that provides
water to thousands of customers both inside and outside
city limits, about 75% of the metropolitan area. A 2010
policy limits the growth of the service area, and Tucson no
longer provides service on demand by new developments
outside its declared service area. Water for new
developments comes from other sources.
Sahuarita has no municipal water utility, but water is
provided by seven private water companies. Marana has a
municipal water utility, but residents also get water from
the City of Tucson and private water companies. Oro
Valley has its own water utility. The largest private water
companies in Pima County are Flowing Wells Water
Company and Metropolitan Water Company. There are at
least 50 other private water suppliers in Pima County and
some entities such as Davis Monthan Air Force Base,
University of Arizona, and the Winterhaven Neighborhood have their own wells and water systems
The Tohono O’Odham Nation manages water within its jurisdiction and has a large allocation of CAP
water, based on a legal ruling. Most agriculture on the Nation is irrigated with CAP water. Many
residents get their water from individual wells.
The CAWCD sells CAP water to many water providers under long-term contracts and allocations. It
also provides water for agriculture and industry.
Wastewater
PAG does regional planning in a number of areas, including wastewater. It is led by representatives of
each of the local governments within Pima County.
An intergovernmental agreement between Tucson and Pima County in the 1970s forms the basis for
division of responsibility. Pima County is responsible for treating wastewater and Tucson, for
providing water. (Pima County is legally prohibited from being a water provider). Tucson owns most
of the water that goes through the treatment plant, but Pima County retains a share. In addition, the
Tohono O’Odham Nation has rights to a significant portion of treated waste, water as a result of a legal
decision, in a trade for its rights to some CAP water. Tucson and Pima County also agreed to allocate a
portion of the treated wastewater.
Pima County is the regional wastewater management agency for the area and is the only county in
Arizona with that authority. It has wastewater treatment plants in several locations, most notably along
the Santa Cruz River at Roger Road and Ina Road. There are also some private wastewater treatment
plants, mostly at golf courses where the water is reused on turf.
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Water Recharge, Reuse, Water Harvesting, and Water Conservation
Recharge systems store water underground for later use. The City of Tucson operates recharge basins
to store CAP water for long-term water security. Pima County has recharge basins for treated
wastewater, from which the water is sent for use on turf. ADHS has strict water quality rules to assure
that contaminants from treated wastewater do not reach drinking water supplies.
Both Tucson and Pima County have policies for conserving water on golf courses by requiring that new
golf courses use reclaimed water where feasible. Many of the regional golf courses use reclaimed water
on turf, as do some City parks. Reclaimed water for household use occurs elsewhere, but not in Pima
County.
Water Harvesting is a way to catch rainwater from roofs and other surfaces for use on the property.
Tucson has requirements for water harvesting on new commercial property and encourages it on private
homes. This reduces the demand for drinking water or irrigation uses.
Water Conservation is an important element in maintaining a long-term supply. Tucson was a pioneer
in the southwest in consumer education for conservation and in implementing a water rate structure to
encourage conservation. An association of water providers, Water Casa, has worked for conservation
and water harvesting, as have other municipalities.
Intergovernmental Agreements ( IGAs)
An IGA provides a way for public entities to agree to or contract for services or for a joint exercise of
common powers. The parties to an IGA may agree to joint or cooperative action or may form a separate
legal entity, including a nonprofit corporation, to contract for or perform contract services or exercise
powers jointly held by the contracting parties.
In practice, there are hundreds of these agreements which are relatively limited in scope. They allow for
sharing of costs, resources and personnel to avoid duplication and take advantage of economies of scale
reducing the cost to the public. Among the many examples of IGA’s are contracts for cost-sharing of
recreational facilities or programs, joint road maintenance project contracts, contracts between local cities
and University of Arizona for educational services and joint purchasing or equipment maintenance
agreements.
The state of Arizona eliminated the filing requirements for IGAs with their local county recorders in
2009, so there is no central depository of all IGAs in Pima County. The effect is that IGA’s are only
accessible in the same manner as contracts local governments make with private entities.
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Ch.10.The Judiciary and the Courts
10. THE JUDICIARY AND THE COURTS
Part of a Statewide Integrated System
The court system in Pima County is part of a statewide integrated system, as provided for in the Arizona
Constitution. This system includes a Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, superior courts (courts of general
jurisdiction) and of record, (meaning proceedings must be recorded), and inferior courts of limited
jurisdiction and not of record. Currently there are two types of courts inferior to the superior court: the
justice of the peace courts and the city magistrate courts. See chart of how Arizona courts are organized.
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Types of Courts
The Arizona Supreme Court
The highest judicial body in the state is the Arizona Supreme Court.
Composed of five justices, its jurisdiction encompasses appeals from lower
courts. These are mainly cases from the appeals court, but capital cases are
appealed directly from superior courts. The court may choose or refuse to
hear all appeals except for a capital punishment case. The Arizona Supreme
Court also has original jurisdiction over suits against state officials and suits
between counties.
Supreme Court judges serve staggered six-year terms. They are appointed according to a merit-based
system (see below under Selection of Judges). The chief justice is chosen from among supreme court
justices by the others for a term of five years.
The Court of Appeals
There are two divisions of the appeals courts in the State of Arizona. One is in Phoenix with sixteen
judges, and the other is Tucson withsix judges. The Court of Appeals handles appeals from the superior
court, the tax court and the Industrial Commission, as well as unemployment compensation cases. It does
not conduct trials or consider evidence in hearings. It may return a case to trial court to retry if it
determines a procedure or decision was not in compliance with law. Cases are heard by a three-judge
panel, but only two judges are needed to agree for an official court ruling. Judges are selected in the same
way under the merit system as Supreme Court justices and must stand for a retention election every four
years. See the Elections Chapter 10 for information about retention elections.
The Superior Court in Pima County
General Information:
Telephone: (520) 724-4200, TDD (520) 724-8887, Website: www.sc.pima.gov
The Superior Court, a general jurisdiction court, is the state’s major trial court and handles criminal
felonies (murder, armed robberies, rape, assault, and so forth), as well as civil cases (private claims over
$5,000, family law matters, probate, juvenile and mental health cases). It also handles juvenile law
matters, both child welfare (dependency) and juvenile justice (delinquency). Additionally, the court
handles appeals from limited jurisdiction courts— justice of the peace courts and municipal courts.
While the Superior Court is a state court, each county has its own division and pays one-half of the
judges’ salaries and most of the court costs. The courts are known, therefore, as county courts and
exercise a degree of independence.
At present there are more than one hundred superior court judges statewide. Pima County has thirty
retained judges who are appointed by the governor as part of the merit selection process.
Judges pro tempore (three), commissioners (eighteen), and hearing officers (two) are appointed and serve
at the pleasure of the presiding judge to help with the large caseload. Judges pro tempore (temporary or
short term) and retained judges preside over jury trials in criminal, civil matters and juvenile matters.
Commissioners generally hear civil or criminal matters that do not require a jury. Hearing officers
preside over routine matters, one in civil cases and one in criminal.
Pima County Superior Court is divided into five different benches dealing with five different areas of law:
the criminal bench, civil bench, juvenile bench, family law bench, and probate bench. The juvenile
bench, more commonly known as juvenile court, adjudicates juvenile delinquency, dependency,
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severance, and mental health cases in Pima County. The court oversees youth detention services, child
and family services (adoptions, abused and neglected children, and dependency matters), and all juvenile
probation services.
Consolidated Justice Court
General Information:
Telephone: (520) 740-3171, Website: www.pcjcc.co.pima.az.us
Also known as justice of the peace courts (JPs) these courts are county courts. Although the courts
represent ten districts in Pima County, eight are “consolidated” into one location in downtown Tucson,
with one in Ajo and one in Green Valley. There are ten justices of the peace elected for four-year terms in
Pima County.
JP courts handle traffic violations and minor crimes (“misdemeanors”).
They also have concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts over civil cases
where the amount in controversy is under $10,000 . JP courts are more
streamlined because their procedures are less formal, and proceedings need
not be recorded. Expanding their jurisdiction over these cases can expedite
cases through the system. JP courts handle preliminary hearings that
precede felony trials held in superior court (an alternative to a grand jury)
and issue search warrants and other types of judicial orders. JP judges are
not required to have law degrees. This comes from the history of courts on
the frontier in the old Arizona Territory when common sense was considered enough to handle small
cases. The judges serve for four years and are elected by popular vote.
Municipal Court
In Arizona each incorporated city and town is required by state law to have a city court (variously known
as city, municipal, or magistrate court). The number of magistrates varies with the size of the city or town
and is decided by the mayor and council of each city or town. Mayors and councils appoint these judges.
For example Tucson has ten full-time magistrates, two limited special magistrates, and other special
magistrates that try a variety of cases. In Tucson, magistrates serve terms of four years. In addition to
these, there are municipal courts in Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson, each with its own
judge.
These courts handle traffic violations and minor
crimes (“misdemeanors”) that occur within city limits,
as well as violations of city ordinances and codes.
They authorize search warrants and issue injunctions
in domestic violence and harassment cases. City courts do not handle
private lawsuits between citizens as do JP courts. Municipal courts
process more cases than any other courts in Arizona.
Do You Know …
What Courts of
Record are?
Tribal Courts
Tribal courts are different. (See the Tribal Governments, Chapter 3)
Administration of the Courts
Courts at all levels need administration to assist with the legal process: scheduling of cases, arranging for
interpreters, following up with fines and probation, and so on, and with the budgeting, personnel, and
other office business. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court serves as chief administrator for all courts
in the state. He/she is assisted by a clerk of the Superior Court and the presiding judge in each county.
And by Justice of the Peace districts of Pima County administrative offices or divisions at each level of
the court system.
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Clerk of the Superior Court
As established by the Arizona Constitution, each county elects by popular vote a clerk of the superior
court. The clerk is the official record keeper for the court and collects fines, fees, bonds, and restitution.
The clerk of the court’s office is the first stop in initiating any Superior Court proceeding regarding family
law, civil matters, passport, marriage license, protective order, legal records, criminal appeals, probate
guardianship and conservatorship, and juvenile court. The clerk also maintains judicial documents,
including findings in adoption, dependency, severance, and delinquency actions.
The Presiding Judge
A presiding judge in each county is selected by the Supreme Court from among the current superior court
judges to work as a representative of the chief justice in each county. The presiding judge oversees court
administration, prepares the Superior Court budget and names commissioners and temporary judges.
He/she also exercises some authority over all the other courts in the county, including justice and
municipal courts. There is a presiding judge for County justice courts and a presiding magistrate for
larger cities, such as Tucson.
Administrative Divisions
There are also court administration divisions or offices (single staff in smaller cities and towns), in each
jurisdiction handle administrative duties related to the courts. For strictly judicial functions these offices
coordinate that with the presiding judge of the Superior Court and the clerk of the Superior Court. They
also coordinate with the Board of Supervisors or in cities or towns, with mayors and councils regarding
administrative functions such as finances or human resources.
Superior Court Management Team
The team is composed of the presiding judges of Superior Court and Juvenile Court, the associate
presiding judge of Superior Court, the court administrators of Superior and Juvenile Court, the deputy
court administrator of Superior Court, the clerk of the court, and the chief adult probation officer. The
team meets regularly to address issues and policies of mutual concern, including overseeing the judicial
merit system, which provides a uniform and equitable system of personnel administration.
Other Superior Court - Related Programs
Adult Probation
· Supervises convicted defendants who are eligible for diversion from prison.
Jury Commissioner (see Jury Duty, below)
· Summons and screens jurors for trials held at Pima County Superior Court, Tucson City Court,
Pima Consolidated Justice Courts and county and state grand juries
Interpreter
· Provides interpreting and translation services to superior and justice court divisions and
departments. American Sign Language interpreters are also provided when necessary for jurors
Law Library
· Provides access to legal information and is open to all citizens of Pima County although
borrowing privileges are restricted to judges, court personnel, and licensed Pima County
attorneys
· Provides self-help assistance for self-represented litigants
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Pretrial and Bail Services
· Screens persons arrested for crimes and makes recommendations to judicial officers regarding
conditions of release from custody pending court appearance
The Family Center of the Conciliation Court
· Provides mediation and counseling services for those considering divorce, for resolving child
custody issues, and for resolving other parenting disputes outside of the courtroom
Calendar Services
· Provides the calendar for all matters heard at the court on a daily basis. Staff monitors cases to
ensure they are processed efficiently and in a timely manner
Constables
· Are responsible, as officers of the justice courts, for serving papers; they are elected by partisan
popular vote within each justice court precinct
Indigent Defense
· Composed of the Public Defender’s Office, the Legal Defender’s Office, and court appointed
counsel. These lawyers are responsible for representing indigent defendants
Public Fiduciary
· Provides conservatorship, guardians, or personal representatives for individuals in need of them,
burials for indigent persons, and other related matters assigned by the Supreme Court
Fines, Fees, and Restitution Program (FARE) — Municipal Court
· Outsources select parts of the collection process for fines and penalties to a private agency in order
to reduce routine non-judicial functions. Pima County Justice Court will join this system in the
near future.
Detailed information about the Arizona Court System, including a link to do a case search, is available at
http://www.azcourts.gov/
Judges and Juries
Selection of Judges
Supreme Court justices, state appeals court judges, together with judges on the superior court in
Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties, are selected through a merit-based system passed by the voters in
Pima and Maricopa counties in 1974. Previously, judges throughout Arizona were chosen in contested
elections, which is still what occurs in smaller counties.
Judicial Nominating Commissions
Whenever there is a vacancy in Pima County Superior Court, new judges are selected from
recommendations made by nominating commissions. A judicial nominating commission is established
under the auspices of the Arizona Supreme Court. There are four nominating commissions in Arizona:
one nominates candidates for the Supreme Court and appellate courts; one nominates candidates for
superior courts in Maricopa County; one nominates candidates for superior courts in Pima County, and
one nominates candidates for superior courts in Pinal County. Each commission must nominate at least
three candidates per vacancy, no more than two of whom may be of the same political party. The
governor chooses from this list. On each nominating commission (including Pima County) there are
sixteen members: ten public members, five attorneys, and the chief justice (or his/her designee), who
serves as chairperson.
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Sitting justices and judges of the appellate and Maricopa, Pima and Pinal superior court stand for a
retention election every four years; voters indicate by a yes or no vote whether to retain the judge for
another term. A judge who does not receive a majority of votes cast must leave the bench.
The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review (JPR)
Since 1993, a statewide commission, the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review (JPR),
establishes performance standards for judges and evaluates judges on whether or not they meet those
standards. Its thirty members include eighteen public members, six attorneys, and six judges. The
commission is required by law to inform the public of its findings in a publicity pamphlet.
Election of Justices of the Peace (JPs)
Justices of the peace are elected to office in regularly
contested partisan elections. Also elected are superior court
judges in counties other than Pima, Pinal and Maricopa.
These elections are nonpartisan.
Did You Know …
Justices of the Peace
are not required to
have law degrees?
Magistrate Selection
Municipal or city court judges are selected by the city or town councils.
Removal of Judges
Justices or judges in general jurisdiction courts (superior courts and above) may be removed in three
ways:
· Impeachment by the legislature
· Recall of the people by ballot
· The Supreme Court removes them on the recommendation of the Commission on Judicial
Conduct. This commission, appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court with jurisdiction over all
judicial officers in Arizona, may also investigate and discipline judges, short of removal
· Municipal magistrates may be removed by mayor and councils
Juries
Generally any person charged with a criminal offense or any party to a civil case has the right to a jury
trial. There are two types of juries: the grand jury and the trial jury. The jury commissioner under the
superior courts selects juries for all levels of courts.
Grand Juries
No felony trial may be held without an initial determination that there is probable cause from a grand jury
or following a preliminary hearing by a justice court. Grand juries are made up of citizens who have been
randomly summoned to serve. They consider whether sufficient evidence exists to justify a full criminal
trial. The case is then referred to a superior court for prosecution by the county or dismissed. Grand
juries have twelve to nineteen members; nine constitute a quorum needed for a decision.
Trial Juries
Trial juries may serve in superior court, justice court or city court.
Superior Court Juries
· Juries hearing cases calling for a death sentence or at least thirty years imprisonment require
twelve members and a unanimous decision
· Juries hearing all other felony cases require eight members, and a unanimous verdict
· In civil cases, juries have 8 members and 6 must agree on a verdict, unless the parties agree
otherwise
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Justice Court Juries
· These juries may be requested by a defendant or prosecutor in a criminal case. They consist of six
members, and verdicts must be unanimous
· In civil cases, the juries are comprised of 6 members and all but one must agree
Municipal Court Juries
· Municipal court juries consist of six members, and their decisions must be unanimous
· Municipal court juries hear many DUI (driving under the influence) and prostitution cases
Jury Duty
The county jury roster for the selection of jurors of all courts contains the names of residents taken from
the list of licensed drivers and registered voters. Jurors must be at least eighteen years of age and meet all
of the following qualifications:
· United States citizen
· Pima county resident
· Never been convicted of a felony, unless the juror’s civil rights have been restored
· Not currently adjudicated mentally incompetent
Several times a year the procedures below are followed:
· Names of prospective jurors are drawn; no one is called more than once a year
· A summons for jury service is mailed with date, time, place, and group number indicated
· A phone number, time and web site address are supplied so that potential jurors may check for
postponements
· Failure to appear for jury duty is subject to penalty by law; service does not exceed one trial (trials
are usually three to five days long), and per diem pay and mileage compensation are provided
In Arizona a person summoned to jury service, upon application in writing to the court, may be excused
for the following reasons:
· Medical condition
· Unable to understand the English language
· Extreme physical or financial hardship
· Peace officer employed by the State of Arizona
· Seventy-five years of age or older
· Full-time caregiver with no available substitutes
· Military service member deployed outside of Arizona
Requests to be excused from jury service are rarely granted. A juror who has been selected to serve on a
jury in Arizona is not required to serve again for one year.
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Page 122
Map – Judicial Districts
Page 123
Appendix 1 – Voting Districts & Ward Maps
Tucson
Page 124
Page 125
Page 126
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INDEX
Note: This Index is very brief as the pdf document is fully searchable using the pdf “Find” function.
To use Find, click on Edit then on Find (or do a Ctrl+F), enter the word or phrase to find in the Find Box.
“municipal” incorporation .................................. 56
annexation ...............41, 46, 47, 57, 58, 71, 80, 92
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ) ...................................................... 112
Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR)
.................................................................. 112
Arizona Supreme Court .................... 116, 119, 120
business privilege .............................................. 58
CC&Rs ................................................ 42, 48, 49
Central Arizona Project (CAP) .......................... 112
Central Arizona Water Conservation District
(CAWCD) .................................................. 112
certificate of participation ................................... 59
charter schools ............................................ 91, 99
Chuk Son .......................................................... 64
Cienega Watershed ............................................ 51
Citizen advisory boards ................................ 11, 76
Clean Elections ................................................. 14
colonias............................................................ 42
Common Core................................................... 91
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) . 62
Court of Appeals ..................................... 115, 116
development fees............................................... 62
Economic Estimates Commission (EEC) .............. 60
Father Kino ...................................................... 45
fiduciary funds .................................................. 35
GASB-34 ......................................................... 58
General Obligation Bonds .................................. 59
governing boards ....................................... 92, 102
Grand juries .................................................... 120
HOAs ........................................................ 42, 49
Hohokam ......................................... 7, 20, 80, 86
home schooling ................................................. 91
HURF .................................................. 34, 59, 60
IGA ....................................................... 109, 114
impact fees ........................................... 59, 62, 63
Improvement Bonds .......................................... 59
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act............................ 18
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) ................. 109
Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.(ITCA) ........ 18
JTED .........................................................93, 96
juries .......................................... 9, 118, 120, 121
jurors .....................................................118, 121
justice of the peace courts (JPs) ........................ 117
Municipal bonds ............................................... 59
municipal, or magistrate court .......................... 117
nonpartisan .................................................16, 28
Old Pueblo ....................................................... 64
Open Meeting Law ............................................. 9
Pascua Yaqui ................................................... 18
PEVL .............................................................. 15
Pima Association of Governments (PAG) ....73, 107,
109, 112
Pima County Superior Court ............. 116, 118, 119
Pimeria Alta ............................................8, 45, 64
Primary Property Tax ...................................34, 58
primary property tax rate ................................... 60
private schools ............................................91, 98
Quijotoa .......................................................... 86
Regional Transportation Authority Plan (RTA) .. 107
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) ................. 107
Revenue Bonds ................................................ 59
Secondary Property Tax .................................... 58
Service Arizona ................................................ 12
Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan .................... 110
special taxing districts ... 32, 35, 42, 102, 103, 104,
129
Tohono O’odham...........................................6, 18
Toltecs ............................................................ 24
traditional public schools ........................ 91, 93, 99
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)....... 107
TREO ........................................................... 110
wastewater management plan ........................... 109
wildcat subdivision ........................................... 42
Page 128
Keep a Record of Your Voting Districts
Don’t Know what they are?
Review our maps or you can call the Pima County Recorder’s Office at 724-4330 to determine your
polling place and what Districts and City of Tucson Ward you are in or you can go on the Pima County
Recorder web site and enter your address to get this information.
Click on this web address to get info… http://www.recorder.pima.gov/public/voter_info.aspx
My Districts:
______ U. S. Congressional District
______ Arizona State Legislative District
______ Pima County Supervisor District
______ Tucson Ward (other municipalities are at large)
______ Justice Court District
______ Community College District (same as Pima County Supervisor District)
______ Local School Board District
Fire District or other special taxing districts _________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Please see our. . .
“A Citizen’s Directory of Elected Officials”
for local telephone, EMail contact numbers and Web sites.
Click here
Or Use this link… www.lwvgt.org/files/CDIR.pdf
Researched, written and edited by
The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization established to promote
political responsibilities through informed, active participation in government at all levels.
Please send us any comments, suggestions or corrections to the email address below, thanks
League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
5/21/14
web: www.lwvgt.org
email: [email protected]
Page 129
MAP - PIMA COUNTY ARIZONA
* Phoenix is State Capital

Know Your Pima County - League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson

Transcription

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