Fiscal Responsibility

The issue of fiscal irresponsibility arose in 2017 when Council placed the $17M Prop 454 Bond and $28M property tax on the ballot for a partial build out of Naranja Park.

Why would Oro Valley – flush with sales tax receipts, a special ½ cent sales tax for golf, and building fees from runaway development – need a property tax to fund “fields for our kids?”

The short answer is that the town has been spending money at an excessive and unsustainable rate. Under the Hiremath administration, town budgets through Fy 17/18 have increased by 50% – far beyond inflation, residential growth, and with no change in the town’s 33 square mile area. Town Manager Jacobs proposed FY 18/19 budget will increase spending to 72% over Mayor Hiremath’s FY 11/12 budget.

Mayor Hiremath and incumbents Hornat, Snider and Waters are fixated on increasing local sales tax through various schemes (such as a sports and event venue in our Naranja Park and the Main Streets project) and maximizing fees and taxes on rampant development.

This issue will be developed in greater detail as we continue to analyze the data. However, the following charts show the magnitude of growth in the size of town budgets and personnel costs.