Yuma County Supervisors approve $575.5 million budget

The budget will not be official until after a 'Truth in Taxation' meeting on June 19

YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - The proposed budget for Yuma County is over half a billion dollars.

Totaling $575.5 million, road repairs, funding for non-profits, and money to keep building the new county administration building are all included in the tentative budget.

Tony Struck is the Budget Director for Yuma County and said it’s a budget that puts the county in a strong position, without taking more from tax payers.

“We minimized the taxes on the general fund tax rate, which actually kept the taxes the same," Struck said.

Still, the budget is going up.

Struck said higher home values will generate more property taxes, even though the tax rate is not increasing.

But the main driver of the $70 million increase is money coming from outside of Yuma.

“Mostly the grants is what has increased our overall budget, the grants we’ve received,” Struck said.

While the proposed budget was approved unanimously, Supervisor Tony Reyes was slightly concerned about the cut in the general fund tax rate.

“That one is a little difficult for me to deal with because it is the main source of revenue for the county to move forward with,” Reyes said.

Because of the budget increase, there will be a 'Truth in Taxation' meeting on June 19 for anyone in the public to come forward with concerns about the proposed budget.

After, the Yuma County Board of Supervisors will vote on whether or not to formally adopt it.