San Tan Valley residents air hopes and fears for incorporation at open house
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STV Inc. 2024 board member Tyler Hudgins, left, and Jack Mauller, right, answer questions for San Tan Valley residents at an open house at San Tan Heights Community Center on Tuesday. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
San Tan Valley residents got their first opportunity to voice their concerns and desires regarding an effort to incorporate the area as Arizona's newest city.
State of play: Opinions were mixed as board members from STV Inc. 2024 presented their first draft map of the proposed city boundaries to about 50 people at an open house Tuesday evening at San Tan Heights Community Center.
Catch up quick: STV Inc. 2024 hopes to refer an incorporation plan to the ballot next year.
- Once the proposed boundaries are finalized, the group must collect signatures from 10% of registered voters who would live in the city to put the issue up for a vote.
- The proposed city's population would be about 91,000 based on 2020 Census figures, but STV Inc. 2024 board member Tyler Hudgins estimated it would be around 100,000 due to continued growth.
Why it matters: Supporters say incorporation would give residents more control over local affairs, better services and more authority over their own tax revenue, which is collected and spent by the state and Pinal County.
- As a city, San Tan Valley would receive a portion of the revenue pool the state distributes to municipalities.
- Hudgins said the League of Arizona Cities and Towns calculated that an incorporated San Tan Valley would retain about $52 million in taxes.
- However, incorporation could bring higher tax burdens, too.
What they're saying: "I think the people need to know what it's going to cost them," said resident Jerry Pierce.
- Gary Rhein said his vote will be based on economics, telling Axios Phoenix after the meeting the amenities that come with incorporation likely wouldn't bring many benefits to retirees like himself.
- "I need to know … what my cost of living is going to go up if we incorporate versus what I'm paying now. And if it's significant, that's going to be a factor."
Zoom in: Others who were more supportive of incorporation expressed concerns that their tax revenues are going to the county or neighboring Queen Creek, home to many of the businesses they patronize.
- Some of those businesses are on unincorporated land that's part of Queen Creek's planning area but outside its boundaries, and argued incorporation would block the city from annexing more land.
- "I don't want to pay more. But ... we need to take a step back and say what happens to this area if we do nothing? Because there are going to be some changes you don't like if we sit back and do nothing," attendee Cyrena Rush said.
- While some attendees raised questions about what San Tan Valley's economic base would look like, board member Jack Mauller said an incorporated city would have more power to attract businesses.
Meanwhile, one resident said San Tan Valley has the worst water in the area, and questioned whether an incorporated city would change that.
- Hudgins and Mauller said a municipality would have authority to negotiate and seek improvements from EPCOR, the utility company that provides water to the area.
Between the lines: Some attendees' biggest concern with the proposed boundaries was they weren't within them.
- One woman expressed frustration that Queen Creek refused to annex the area where she lives.
- Others wanted the group to disregard Queen Creek's planning area and incorporate commercial areas adjacent to San Tan Valley.
- Board members emphasized the map isn't final, and said any areas left outside the city upon incorporation could still be annexed later.
What's next: STV Inc. 2024 will hold open houses on July 20 at the Pinal County Offices and Sept. 30 at San Tan Heights Community Center.