Santa Cruz County has scheduled a Truth in Taxation public hearing for Wednesday, Aug. 5, on property tax increases for Fiscal Year 2026-27. The meeting will be at 10:30 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room 120 in the Santa Cruz County Complex, 2150 N. Congress Drive, Nogales.
In a press release dated July 21, 2026, the county said it intends to increase primary property taxes by 0.98 percent and secondary property taxes by 2.03 percent.
County Finance Director and Deputy County Manager Mauricio Chavez explained that the county’s primary property tax rate of $3.9465 is $0.03 less that a year ago, but the increase that taxpayers will experience is based on higher assessed values. “Some owners will see a rise in their property taxes,” Chavez said. “Tax rates are going down but assessed value is going up, which is what you normally see in a good economy.”
The average increase calculates out to $5.41 per year per $100,000 in assessed value. For a home valued at $300,000, the annual increase would be $16.23. For a home assessed at $500,000, the increase would be $27.05.
The increase is estimated to add $248,748 to the county’s general fund. Overall, property taxes will generate $18.876 million in revenues.
For the 2026-27 Fiscal Year, the county is putting forth a budget of $155.8 million, with $47.2 million in expenditures from the general fund. Expenditures from the general fund support the county’s core government operations, including public safety, courts, finance, public works support, general government services and elections.
Wednesday’s hearing will follow the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors at 9:30 a.m. Both events can be viewed remotely at www.youtube.com/@santacruzcountyarizona/live.