Scottsdale council votes on FY 2026/27 budget, tax levies, water contract

Scottsdale City Council approved key funding decisions for the coming fiscal year on June 23, 2026—actions that can affect what residents and businesses see in their city portion of property-tax bills for FY 2026/27, and a separate long-term step in Scottsdale’s water planning.

What Scottsdale approved on June 23

Property tax levies and rates (Ordinance 4714). Ordinance 4714 sets the city’s primary and secondary property tax levies and rates for FY 2026/27. In the closed-caption transcript, the city described the combined primary/secondary rate at 89.8 cents per $100 of assessed value. The transcript also notes a primary rate decrease of about 3.7% and a secondary rate increase of just under 1 percentage point as part of the combined change.

Municipal streetlight levy (Ordinance 4715). The council also adopted the FY 2026/27 municipal streetlight improvement district property tax levy through Ordinance 4715. The transcript cites a total streetlight levy of $642,566 and an average of $18.92 per lot—figures residents can use as a quick reference when checking how the streetlight district component applies to their property category.

Long-term water storage credits (Resolution 13702 / Contract 2026-112-COS). In the same meeting, the council advanced a major water-supply action by approving a long-term storage credits purchase contract with Vidler Water Company. The transcript describes the action as adoption of Resolution 13702, authorizing Contract 2026-112-COS, for $8,250,000 to purchase 15,000 long-term storage credits (described in the meeting as 15,000 acre-feet) in Arizona’s Harquahala Valley.

How the property-tax votes can show up on your bill

Even though City Council votes adopt specific levy and rate frameworks, the final dollar amount on an individual property tax bill depends on the countywide tax calculation, including how assessed value is determined and how other tax components apply to each taxpayer. In practical terms, the June 23 actions set key parts of the city’s portion of the total bill, but they don’t guarantee that every household will see the same dollar change.

If you own or manage property within a municipal streetlight improvement district, Ordinance 4715 is the key reference point for the streetlight component: the transcript’s $642,566 total levy and $18.92 average per lot figures are district-lot planning numbers that may be reflected differently depending on how your property is categorized.

What the water-credit deal signals for Scottsdale’s longer-term planning

In its discussion of the storage credits, the city described long-term storage credits as a tool that can enhance drought resilience and support compliance with assured water supply designation requirements. The June 23 approval is therefore not presented as a day-to-day operational change, but as part of a longer-range water portfolio approach—using storage credits as a kind of “savings account” concept for water planning.

What to watch next

Property taxes: Keep an eye out for your official tax bill (and any published calculation details), where you can confirm how the city’s adopted rates and the municipal streetlight levy component apply to your specific property category.

Water: For additional context beyond the contract approval itself, residents can look for any follow-up city materials tied to implementation and how the city explains the role of the Harquahala Valley storage credits within its broader water planning.

Sources

• Scottsdale City Council agenda (June 23, 2026) — meeting packet and action notes
• City of Scottsdale public notice — intent to consider increasing city primary property tax levy and municipal streetlight district taxes (published June 8, 2026)