PRESS RELEASE
Santa Cruz County Treasurer Issues Corrected 2025 Property Tax Notices for School District #28
Nogales, AZ - The Santa Cruz County Treasurer’s Office has announced that corrected 2025 Property Tax Notices will be mailed to property owners within the Santa Cruz Elementary School District #28 by the end of the year. This action addresses an error in the originally issued primary tax rate.
The initial tax notices mistakenly included the Type 03 school district levy twice. This levy is an additional rate applied to elementary school districts that are not part of a high school district. As a result, the primary tax rate was overstated at 10.3854 instead of the correct rate of 8.8248. The reduction rate was overstated at 2.3409 instead of the correct rate of 1.5606.
The corrected rate of 8.8248 is made up of the Santa Cruz Elementary School District #28 tax rate of 7.2642 and the Type 03 School District tax rate of 1.5606.
The error was identified following a series of phone inquiries from taxpayers questioning the rate. In response, the Santa Cruz County Treasurer’s Office, the Santa Cruz County Superintendent's Office, and the school district conducted a joint review of the tax rates. Through this collaborative effort, the duplication was discovered.
The three agencies are now working together to improve the current tax planning and verification process to ensure such errors do not occur in the future.
The County is taking corrective action to ensure taxpayers receive appropriate refunds or credits. For those who have already paid their full 2025 property tax bill, the Treasurer’s Office is working to issue refunds for the overpaid amount, with a target completion date of December 31, 2025. Taxpayers who have only paid the first half of their bill will see the excess amount credited toward their second-half payment.
“We regret the error and are committed to correcting it as quickly and transparently as possible,” said Alejandro Paz, Santa Cruz County Treasurer. “Our office is working diligently to ensure that all affected taxpayers are properly refunded or credited.”
Example of the Incorrect Tax Bill
The Primary Tax Rate and Reduction Rate will be reduced due to the error. The Primary Tax Rate will be reduced from 10.3854 to 8.8248. The Reduction Rate will be reduced from 2.3409 to 1.5606.
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