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At the Nov. 19 meeting, the Queen Creek Town Council approved investing in a water supply that will allow the Town to become water self-sufficient. The Council approved funding a second purchase from Harquahala Valley, transitioning away from local groundwater pumping and replenishment obligations through Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD).

The Town approved to fund the additional 12,000-acre feet of water (1.2-million-acre feet over 100 years) using Water Infrastructure Financing Authority of Arizona financing and Certificates of Participation for an amount not to exceed $250 million. This is a historic investment for today and the future. The price of water continues to rise. And the water from Harquahala Valley is a reliable source, not subject to drought conditions and significantly reduces local groundwater pumping.

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has recognized the Town of Queen Creek with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fiscal year 2025/26 budget. This is the 24th consecutive year that the Town has received this recognition.

This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and represents a significant achievement by the Town. In order to receive the award, the Town had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well the Town's budget serves as a policy document, an operations guide, a financial plan and a communication device.

“Approving the Town’s budget is one of the most important actions we take as a Council,” stated Queen Creek Vice Mayor Leah Martineau. “This Council, and Councils that served before, have been very mindful of how taxpayer money is spent, balancing fiscally responsible decisions with maintaining Queen Creek’s high quality of life. We are so appreciative of the staff that work year-round to ensure that budgets are accurate, reflective of the community and balanced.”

To learn more about the Town’s budget, visit QueenCreekAZ.gov/Budget. For more information about the Town, visit QueenCreekAZ.gov. To report non-emergency issues, please visit QueenCreekAZ.gov/SeeClickFix.

The Town of Queen Creek’s fiscal year (FY) 2025/26 budget was approved by the Town Council at the May 21 meeting. The $627.7 million budget goes into effect on July 1, 2025, and continues to prioritize infrastructure, with nearly 50% dedicated to transportation, public safety, water and wastewater, parks, and other infrastructure projects.

“We are committed to providing a high quality of life, promoting a strong sense of community, protecting residents and providing world class public services,” stated Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley. “Our budget reflects our commitment to infrastructure and public safety, as well as being fiscally responsible. The overall budget is a 13% decrease from last year, without cutting any of these areas. In fact, we are investing $66.8 million to public safety and $119.1 million to transportation.”  

In addition to investments in infrastructure and public safety, the budget follows the Town’s Corporate Strategic Plan to prioritize its allocation of resources. Highlights include:

• Secure Future

  • $68.8 million in water infrastructure and $17.2 million in wastewater. 

• Qualify Lifestyle

  • $11.8 million to relocate the dog park, invest in the Town’s trail system and close out final costs for the Recreation & Aquatic Center.

• Effective Government through Fiscal Responsibility

  • $3.8 million in property tax savings for residents thanks to the property tax freeze.
  • $1.5 million in savings from eliminating the additional Town Center sales tax.

The budget includes a recommendation to lower the primary property tax rate from $1.63 to $1.55 per $100 of assessed value. In November 2022, Town Council approved a policy that freezes the primary property tax for existing taxpayers for five years, which means the tax rate will go down as property values go up. The primary property tax rate will be adopted by Town Council at the June 4 Town Council meeting. The Town’s primary property tax was approved by voters in 2007 at a rate not to exceed $1.95 per $100 of assessed value and is dedicated solely for public safety. 

To view the full budget, click here or visit QueenCreekAZ.gov/Budget.