SHOULD GV SECEDE FROM PIMA COUNTY?

Graf, Verwys to study possibility of joining SC County

One frequent complaint heard in Green Valley is the community never gets back in services from Pima County what it pays in taxes.

Now a couple of men think they’ve got the answer — join Santa Cruz County to the south where taxes are lower.

Randy Graf and Dave Verwys, are visiting people, proposing the idea and testing the waters to see if there’s any interest.

“If not, we’ll just chalk it up to experience,” said Graf, who said that so far, no one seems opposed to discussing the idea.

Graf and Verwys suggest moving the Santa Cruz County line north to Pima Mine Road, the southern edge of the Tohono O’odham Reservation. The county line currently is near Arivaca Road.

That would put Sahuarita and unincorporated Green Valley in Santa Cruz County, the state’s smallest in size.

It’s all but impossible to create a separate county in Arizona these days.

La Paz County was created from part of Yuma County on Jan. 1, 1983. Tourism and agriculture are its leading businesses.

But after 1983, the state Legislature changed the law so there can be no more new counties. However, the law doesn’t mention moving county lines.

Counties are a function of the Legislature and adhere to its rules and regulations.

Sahuarita is an incorporated town, with its own municipal government and police department.

Unincorporated Green Valley has no town government, relying on Pima County for many of its municipal functions. The county sheriff provides police protection.

Taxing districts provide fire protection.

There are about 20,000 people who live in Sahuarita and about 35,000 who live in Green Valley. Santa Cruz County Supervisor Robert Damon, that county’s longest serving supervisor, when told of the idea of picking up more land and residents to the north, said, “If they want to come, they’d be welcome.”

“From what little I’ve heard, many of the people in Green Valley are tired of high property tax rates and would rather live in Santa Cruz County,” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Chairman Manny Ruiz.

“It would be a tremendous loss of revenue for Pima County, Ruiz added.

He said Santa Cruz “would welcome the sales tax revenues generated in Green Valley, where many north county residents shop,” Ruiz said. But the county would have to stretch its services to provide fire, police and flood control to the new area.

“Hopefully, we would offer an improved level of services,” said Supervisor John Maynard.

The county could open a north county service center in Green Valley, like the ones in Tubac and Sonoita, he added.

The current Santa Cruz County line is at Arivaca Junction - Amado.

There are three supervisory districts in Santa Cruz County, five in Pima.

Main communities in Santa Cruz County are Nogales, the county seat; Tubac, Rio Rico, Patagonia and Sonoita.

Tucson, the state’s second largest city, is the largest city in Pima County. Other Pima County communities include Vail, Marana and Sahuarita,

On the question of whether Green Valley and Sahuarita get a fair return from the county for their taxes, Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has said several times that if municipalities got a full share of county government for taxes they pay, it would mean they would get such things as jails, courts and sewer plants in their neighborhoods.

Huckelberry was unavailable for comment late Thursday.

Property taxes in Pima County are $4.62 on assessed value of $100; Santa Cruz County, $3.18 on assessed value of $100.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749

Pima County

Size: 9,189 square miles.

Population: (2006) 946,362

Income: Median income for a household in Pima County $36,758. About 14.7 percent was below the poverty line.

Founded: 1864, one of Arizona’s original counties.

County seat: Tucson.

Population centers: Tucson, Green Valley, Marana, Sahuarita, Oro Valley, Vail, Ajo, Catalina, Sells, Tanque Verde. There are three Native American reservations in Pima County, Pascua Yaqui, San Xavier, Tohono O’odham.

Other: about 60 miles of Pima County’s southern border is the U.S. - Mexico border.

Santa Cruz County

Size: 1,238 square miles. Smallest county in Arizona.

Population: (2000) 38,381.

Income: Median income for a household in Santa Cruz County was $29,710. About 21.4 percent was below the poverty lines.

Founded: 1899.

County seat: Nogales.

Population centers: Rio Rico, Amado. Nogales, Patagonia, Sonoita and Elgin.

Other: Santa Cruz County’s southern border is the U.S. - Mexico border.