Manfredi: Fiscal discipline should be measured, not merely claimed

By Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi
Sep 21, 2026

Letter to the Editor

Anyone can promise fiscal responsibility. Residents deserve a record they can check.

Across the 12 budgets since I was elected, from FY2015–16 through FY2026–27, Maricopa reduced its primary property tax rate nine times, including the last seven years in a row. We held the rate steady in the other three years. We never increased the primary property tax rate during those 12 budget cycles.

The primary rate fell from $5.0898 per $100 of assessed value to $3.3279, a 34.6% reduction. This year alone, we cut it another 4.3% from the previous year.

My Role

I championed those reductions while funding the services our growing community needs. I remember interviewing our previous and current City Manager, and I asked if they were on board to continue these cuts. I would not have voted to hire either if they were not.

Residents also deserve open and honest answers. A lower city property tax rate does not guarantee a lower individual tax bill. Assessed values and other taxing jurisdictions affect what each homeowner pays.

I support funding the people and equipment that keep Maricopa safe. Our adopted FY2024–25 General Fund budget allocated $31.48 million to public safety, its largest spending category. That funding supports the police, fire, and emergency services residents rely on.

Balanced Budgets

Our balanced FY2026–27 budget also continues the investment in infrastructure. Transportation and street projects account for 55% of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. Priorities include widening SR 238, funding the pedestrian overpass, and improving flood protection on Murphy Road near the high school. [City budget announcement](https://www.maricopa-az.gov/Maricopa-eNews/FY2026-27-Budget).

Strong financial management helps control borrowing costs. The city retained its AA+ credit rating and attracted more than $181 million in investor demand for approximately $27 million in SR 347 bonds. The city reports that this demand helped secure lower interest rates. Our finance team and the council’s financial policies helped produce those results. City budget announcement.

Difficult Votes

Fiscal responsibility also means explaining difficult votes. In 2025, I supported the half-cent city sales tax increase to help fund SR 347 improvements. The council paired that decision with an agreement with ADOT governing the widening investment. I supported that local commitment because improving the corridor requires funding as well as planning. Residents deserve to know why I voted for it and where the money goes.

I will keep questioning spending, protecting reserves, and directing infrastructure dollars toward projects that serve residents. Growth creates obligations as well as revenue. Our job is to meet those obligations while protecting taxpayers’

Vincent Manfredi owns InMaricopa and this is a letter written to the editor. You can view other opinions and letters here.