Yuma County approves $535 million budget, keeps property taxes unchanged

Yuma County approved a $535.6 million 2026-27 budget and left the county’s combined property tax rate unchanged, even as officials kept money set aside for emergencies. The vote followed a June 23 truth-in-taxation hearing and capped a process that began when Administrator Ian McGaughey presented the recommended budget at a special Board of Supervisors session on April 27.

County leaders cast the plan as one built around fiscal stability, strategic investment and essential services rather than a spending surge. That matters for residents because the budget is the framework that pays for county roads, public safety, courts, elections, public health and the administrative machinery that keeps services moving in Yuma County.

The tax picture is more complicated than the headline suggests. In its June 23 notice, Yuma County said it was proposing a 2.02% increase in primary property taxes, equal to $821,538. The Yuma County Library District was also proposing a 1.81% increase in secondary property taxes, or $213,497. County officials said the recommended budget included a 2.42-cent property tax rate increase that partially restored an 8.76-cent General Fund reduction adopted in fiscal year 2023-24.

That means the county is not imposing a broad property-tax reset, but it is also not freezing every part of the bill. For homeowners and businesses, the practical result is a budget that aims to protect current service levels without a major jump in the overall tax burden. The county’s decision to keep reserves available for emergencies also points to a preference for flexibility if weather, infrastructure problems or public-safety costs rise during the year.

The Board of Supervisors’ 2026 meeting calendar shows the special budget session on April 27 and the budget hearing on June 23, underscoring that the final plan was shaped over months, not in a single meeting. County officials also said future property tax adjustments should be considered every other year after another look at fiscal health, signaling that the current budget is meant to hold the line while leaving room for later review.