Fighting an Illegal Property Tax in Yuma County

The Yuma County Hospital District (the “District”), a special taxing district charged with oversight duties related to the Yuma Regional Medical Center, has imposed a secondary property tax on Yuma property owners without the necessary voter approval. The District did this by making its request directly to the Yuma County Board of Supervisors (the “Board”), bypassing voters and telling the Board it had no choice in the matter and was legally required to impose the tax.

This violates clear provisions in Arizona law that special taxing entities like the District may not impose property taxes without first obtaining voter approval in an election. Goldwater has stepped in on behalf of a Yuma property owner, Rick Ogston, and filed a lawsuit seeking a refund of the unlawful taxes already assessed against Mr. Ogston, as well as a declaration from the court that the tax is illegal and invalid.