COCONINO COUNTY – The Coconino Community College district will raise your taxes on the next property tax cycle based on public input today. Elisha Dorfsmith of the Flagstaff Liberty Blog noted that a Truth in Taxation notice appeared in the May 4th edition of the Arizona Daily Sun for the Coconino Community College. A public hearing was held today on the CCC campus in Page. There is nothing on the web site of the Coconino Community College about the proposed tax increase.
The notice read:
TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING
NOTICE OF TAX INCREASE
In compliance with Section 15-1461.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, Coconino County Community College District is notifying its property taxpayers of Coconino County Community College District’s intention to raise its primary property taxes over last year’s lever. The Coconino County Community College District is proposing an increase in primary property taxes of $140,690 or 1.98%.
For example, the proposed tax increase will cause Coconino County Coummunity College District’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $46.95 (total taxes that would be owed without the proposed tax increase) to $47.88 (total proposed taxes including the tax increase).
This proposed increase is exclusive of increased primary property taxes received from new construction. The increase is also exclusive of any changes that may occur from property tax levies for voter approved bonded indebtedness or budget and tax overrides.
All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing on the tax increase that is scheduled to be held May 27th, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. in the D10 classroom at Coconino Community College, 475 S Lake Powell Blvd, Page, Arizona.
John Moore, Mayor of Williams, said that he was not aware of the proposed tax increase, but he opposed it. His opposition, however, was not specifically targeted at this proposal. He opposes an increase in taxes anywhere in the government in this economy.
We spoke with Gioia Goodrum, elected District 3 board member who could not comment on the issue and referred us to Coconino Community College.
Scott Talboom, of the public relations department of CCC, informed the Gazette that the statute cited in the notice allows College Districts to increase taxes by 2.5% per year. This increase is allowed to be automatically generated by the College District independent of voter intervention according to the statute cited in the ad. Apparently even the elected Coconino College Community board has nothing to do with the increase.
It is when they ask for an increase of more than the 2.5% that they must make a proposal to voters as with the failed initiative last November. The Arizona Daily Sun reported in January that Coconino Community College lost its bid for a hike of $4.5 million in the November 5, 2013 special election. Only four of Flagstaff’s 10 voted districts supported the override and it was defeated by Williams voters.
The questions that Mr. Talboom could not answer are why the comments are being taken in Page and if there are any other alternative means of making public comments. This is one of the issues raised by The Flagstaff Liberty Blog. Reaching the Page campus is difficult even under the best of conditions. With highway 89 impassible it creates even more of a burden.
The college could not confirm if there are alternative methods of public input, but they do have a contact section on their web site for Faculty and Staff.