In Arizona, cities can have two kinds of property tax: primary and secondary. Gilbert does not have a primary property tax, which is used for general operations like the police, fire or parks. Instead, we use sales tax money to pay for these things. We do have a secondary property tax, but only to pay for projects that voters have authorized on a ballot. Here’s a breakdown of what that means.
The secondary property tax can only be used for voter approved bonds.
In order to finance large projects needed in the community, the Town will sometimes ask voters for authorization to use bonds that will be paid back with property tax. In 2006 and 2007, voters approved bonds for road projects and recently in 2018, voters approved funding for the Public Safety Training Facility project.
The debt is paid back using secondary property tax. Each year the Town sets the levy at the amount of money needed to pay the debt (like your mortgage payment, only it’s once a year instead of monthly). In 2020, you’ll see an increase to the levy to account for the Public Safety Training Facility Gilbert voters authorized.
The levy is not the amount of money that individual homeowners pay. The levy is divided out among all the homes and businesses in Gilbert.
The secondary property tax rate residents pay has stayed the same for the past few years.
As Gilbert grows, we get more residents and businesses to help pay for projects. That’s why the tax rate is able to decrease or stay the same. Today, the rate is $0.99 per $100 of assessed property value, which is the same rate as last year. The rate has been steadily decreasing in Gilbert since 1995.
The tax rate decreased, but your property value may have increased.
Our community has seen tremendous growth and that can mean increased property values. If you are paying more on your secondary tax bill, it may mean that your property value has increased. For example, if you bought a house in 2017 and your property value was $193,200, in 2021, your estimated property value can be $262,000. Although your property value is increasing, the tax rate is still decreasing or staying the same.
Property tax bills vary per resident because the bill is a percentage of your property value. For example, say in 2017 you paid $160 in property taxes but in 2021 your tax estimate is $181. Despite the rate decreasing, your property tax increased because your property value increased.
Gilbert’s property tax is still the lowest in the region.
Gilbert has the lowest combined property tax of any major city in the region and we do our best to make sure the value of your tax dollar is stretched and used in a way that benefits you.
Want to see exactly how much you pay for the secondary property tax? Enter your address on the Maricopa County Assessors site to learn more.
Hi-Would like to print your article Property Taxes in Gilbert from your May 21, 2020 post. All is get is a dark screen on some pages. Am I doing anything wrong? Secondly, I’m in Val Vista Lakes and we are being bombarded with claims that the new Infrastructure Bond will increase our property tax by $250/month. They provide no date to support this claim when asked, but continue to make this claim. I went to the website they referenced at Gilbert Watch, but there is no evidence of this claim there. I intend to make an email report on the Bond for our association website, but want to make sure my report is accurate. All I have right now is the Publicity Pamphlet which says there is no tax increase because we have a secondary property tax rate that will cover the new issue. Can you help me out here and share any data you have?
Thanks, Doug Keats VVL 10/8/21
Hi, Doug! Thanks for letting us know about your printing issues. It’s not you! We’ve fixed the problem for this page and will roll out an update to fix the issue on the rest of the site also. Thanks for pointing that out and helping us make this site better!
As far as additional data, I’ll connect you with additional staff members via email so keep an eye on your inbox! We’ll reach out shortly.
Thanks for checking out Alex and let us know if there’s any other info you’re interested in!
So my property taxes do go up although Town of Gilbert can claim they have not raised my taxes. This is unfair to the taxpayer. Town of Gilbert gets my increase in taxes because it is based on the value of my property. This is an unfair way to say they have not raised my taxes. How can that be changed so property owners are not deceived when Town of Gilbert claims they are not raising our property taxes.?
Hi Genny,
Thank you for sharing your concerns. Gilbert intends to keep the tax rate at $.99 per $100 of assessed value, which is the same as it has been the past two years. These taxes can only be used to pay for voter-approved bonds. In 2006 and 2007, voters approved bonds for road projects and recently in 2018, voters approved funding for the Public Safety Training Facility.
If your property value increases, so do the total amount you pay in taxes. If your property value decreased, your taxes would decrease. Property values are assessed by the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office.
For more information, please visit the notice here: https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/clerk-s-office/proposed-new-and-increased-taxes-or-fees