Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 42-17051 – Limit on county, municipal and community college primary property tax levy

A. In addition to any other limitation that may be imposed, a county, charter county, city, charter city, town or community college district shall not levy primary property taxes in any year in excess of an aggregate amount computed as follows:
1. 1. Determine the maximum allowable primary property tax levy limit for the jurisdiction for the preceding tax year.
2. 2. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection by 1.02.
3. 3. Determine the assessed value for the current tax year of all property in the political subdivision that was subject to tax in the preceding tax year.
4. 4. Divide the dollar amount determined in paragraph 3 of this subsection by one hundred and then divide the dollar amount determined in paragraph 2 of this subsection by the resulting quotient. The result, rounded to four decimal places, is the maximum allowable tax rate for the political subdivision.
5. 5. Determine the finally equalized valuation of all property, less exemptions, appearing on the tax roll for the current tax year including an estimate of the personal property tax roll determined pursuant to section 42-17053.
6. 6. Divide the dollar amount determined in paragraph 5 of this subsection by one hundred and then multiply the resulting quotient by the rate determined in paragraph 4 of this subsection. The resulting product is the maximum allowable primary property tax levy limit for the current year for all political subdivisions.
7. 7. The allowable levy of primary property taxes for the current fiscal year for all political subdivisions is the maximum allowable primary property tax levy limit less any amounts required to reduce the levy pursuant to subsections B and C of this section.
B. Any monies that a political subdivision received from primary property taxation in excess of the sum of the amount of taxes collectible pursuant to section 42-15053, subsection G, paragraph 2 and the allowable levy determined under subsection A of this section shall be maintained in a separate fund and used to reduce the primary property tax levy in the following year. Monies that are received and that are attributable to the payment of delinquent taxes that were properly assessed in prior years shall not be applied to reduce the levy in the following year.
C. If, pursuant to section 41-1279.07, the auditor general determines that in any fiscal year a county has exceeded its expenditure limitation, the allowable levy of primary property taxes of the county determined under subsection A of this section shall be reduced in the fiscal year following the auditor general's hearing by the amount of the expenditures that exceeded the county's expenditure limitation.
D. The limitations prescribed by this section do not apply to levies made pursuant to article 5 of this chapter.
E. The levy limitation for a political subdivision is considered to be increased each year to the maximum permissible limit under subsection A of this section regardless of whether the county, city, town or district actually levies taxes in any year up to the maximum permissible amount.
F. For purposes of determining a county's levy limit under this article, remote municipal property, as defined in section 42-15251, is considered to be taxable property in the county.