The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted May 26 to adopt a tentative fiscal year 2027 budget that sets the maximum spending level for the county at $1.81 billion, a 3.3 percent increase over the current fiscal year. The measure, approved in a series of votes during a public meeting, frames spending for programs the county says are focused on housing, health, safety and creating greater economic opportunity for residents as the region continues to grow.
Pima County Board of Supervisors members sit beneath the county seal during a meeting where they approved the tentative $1.81 billion fiscal year 2027 spending plan.
County Administrator Jan Lesher described the tentative budget as a ‘‘balanced and strategic approach to financial management amid ongoing economic uncertainty, rising operational costs, and continued pressure from state and federal funding changes.’’ Lesher told supervisors the drafting process emphasized protecting essential county services, maintaining long-term financial sustainability and advancing board priorities that include public safety, transportation, housing, public health, environmental stewardship and economic opportunity.
Lesher said the tentative plan was developed to align with the county’s Strategic Plan and two major county initiatives. The Strategic Plan provides the framework for how the county lays out its priorities; the Prosperity Initiative and the One Pima Initiative were cited as complementary efforts intended to boost economic mobility and improve public safety. Those plans, Lesher said, helped shape how funding was directed across departments and programs in the tentative spending document.
Adoption of the tentative budget establishes the ceiling for what the county may spend in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Supervisors retain the ability to make reductions or adjustments when they take up the final budget next month, but state rules prevent raising the total once a tentative figure has been set. The board scheduled consideration of the final fiscal year 2027 budget for its June 23 meeting.
Officials noted that the tentative budget contains no increase in the county’s general operations tax. However, board policies intended to address state cost shifts, to fund infrastructure and to support affordable housing would result in an overall county property tax increase of roughly 8.7 cents per $100 of net assessed value. The tentative total property tax rate is set at $5.2835 per $100 of net assessed value, a figure the county says remains nearly 70 cents lower than the peak rate reached during the 2010s recovery from the Great Recession.
In presenting the plan, Lesher emphasized fiscal safeguards and priorities beyond tax-rate decisions. The budget draft reflects a focus on preserving strong reserve levels, supporting efforts to recruit and retain county staff, investing in infrastructure improvements, protecting services for vulnerable residents and maintaining transparency for taxpayers. She also highlighted that Pima County continues to face inflationary pressures while demand for county services is rising along with regional population growth.
The tentative budget is organized around four broad pillars drawn from the Strategic Plan. The largest allocation, $957 million, is designated for Public Service and is intended to sustain core county functions and customer-facing services. A second major category, Quality of Life, was allocated $525 million and is aimed at programs intended to improve day-to-day life for county residents. Infrastructure and Growth received $306 million, reflecting investments prioritized to support economic growth and critical infrastructure needs. A final pillar, Sustainability and Conservation, was assigned $23 million to support conservation, sustainability and climate resiliency efforts.
Supervisors split along a few votes as they approved separate components of the tentative levy and district budgets. By a 4-1 vote the board adopted the tentative county budget with a primary property tax rate of $4.2733 per $100 of net assessed value, an increase of 7.9 cents compared with fiscal year 2026. The board unanimously approved the Regional Flood Control District tentative budget at a tax rate of $0.3407 per $100, which is 1.18 cents higher than the current year. The Library District tentative budget was adopted 4-1 at a tax rate of $0.5820 per $100, up 2.41 cents. The Debt Service tentative budget passed 5-0 with a tax rate of $0.0875 per $100, a decrease of 2.75 cents from the current year.
Beyond those district votes, the supervisors set tentative budgets and tax rates for a number of special taxing and facilities districts as required by state law, and they adopted the tentative budget for the Stadium District, which operates Kino Sports Complex. Those actions complete the county’s formal step of setting maximum spending and tentative levy rates prior to final consideration late next month.
With the tentative figures now in place, county officials will proceed to refine budget details and respond to any board-directed changes ahead of the June 23 final budget vote. The tentative spending plan will remain the ceiling for fiscal year 2027 unless supervisors elect to reduce allocations during the next meeting; state rules do not permit increasing the total beyond the amount adopted on May 26. The county says the budget’s stated priorities and the funding levels within the four Strategic Plan pillars guide how resources will be allocated if the final budget is adopted as presented.