Tentative Budget Board Report

1 
Eastmark Community Facilities District No. 1 
 
Board Report 
 
 
Date:  
May 7, 2026 
To: 
 
Eastmark Community Facilities District No. 1 Board of Directors 
Through: 
Michael Kennington, District Treasurer 
 
 
 
From:  
Brian A. Ritschel, Office of Management & Budget Director 
 
 
  
Subject: 
FY 2026-27 Eastmark Community Facilities District No. 1 Budget 
 
 
Purpose  
 
This action approves the FY 2026-27 proposed budget for the Eastmark Community 
Facilities District No. 1 (City of Mesa, Arizona) (the “District”). These actions are the 
first step in the approval process for the District’s FY 2026-27 budget (the “District 
Budget”).  Arizona law (ARS 48-716 and ARS 48-723) requires that, on or before July 
15 of each year, community facilities districts approve a proposed budget and call a 
public hearing on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.   
 
Background 
 
On April 2, 2012, the Mesa City Council formed the District.  The District issues general 
obligation bonds to finance the cost of eligible public infrastructure (streets, water lines, 
wastewater lines, parks, etc.) benefiting the land within the geographical boundaries of 
the District.  The principal of and interest on these general obligation bonds is paid for 
with revenue generated by the levy of an annual ad valorem tax on all taxable property 
in the District. 
 
The District also issues special assessment bonds secured by special assessments 
on residential lots within certain designated Special Assessment Districts (“SADs”, and 
each a “SAD”) within the District.   
 
Discussion 
 
The FY 2026-27 District Budget includes spending for three purposes: (1) operations, 
(2) capital, and (3) debt service.

2 
(1) Operations 
a. Expenditures 
The District pays for accounting, budget, clerk, engineering, legal, and 
treasurer services provided from City staff time.  In addition, the District 
pays for publishing costs, audit work, outside legal counsel, and software 
license costs incurred by the District.  
 
b. Funding Sources  
Upon initial formation of the District, property owners approved an ad 
valorem tax on all real and personal property in the District at a rate equal 
to $0.16 per $100 of net assessed limited property valuation for all real 
and personal property in the District to fund the operation and 
maintenance expenses of the District (the “O&M tax”) per Arizona law 
(ARS 48-723).  Operation and maintenance expenses not funded by the 
O&M tax are reimbursed by the District’s master developer, DMB Mesa 
Proving Grounds LLC (“DMB MPG”) per an agreement among the City, 
the District, and DMB MPG. 
 
(2) Debt Service 
a. Expenditures 
The proposed FY 2026-27 District Budget includes debt service 
(principal, interest, and administrative costs) for the District bonds that 
have already been issued. 
 
b. Funding Sources 
There are two funding sources for District bond debt service, depending 
on the type of bond: 
 
(1) the District’s general obligation bonds are secured by the levy of a 
secondary ad valorem tax on all taxable property in the District, and the 
planned secondary tax rate for FY 2026-27 debt service on such general 
obligation bonds is $1.73 per $100 of net assessed limited property 
valuation of taxable property, and 
 
(2) the District’s special assessment bonds are secured by special 
assessments on residential lots within a designated SAD in an 
assessment amount not greater than $10,000 per residential lot.  The 
amount of the special assessment that may be levied on a residential lot 
is limited by the value of the property in each SAD; assessments in the 
first twelve SADs have ranged from $2,000 to $3,500 per residential lot.  
Payment of the special assessments by the property owner can be made 
in annual installments over the life of the special assessment bonds, 
which is typically 25 years.  Owners of residential lots may prepay the 
special assessments at any time.

3 
Property Tax 
 
The valuation of real property in the District is determined annually by either Maricopa 
County or the State of Arizona.  Property is assigned a full cash value (“FCV”) and a 
limited property value (“LPV”).  The annual increase in LPV is restricted to 5%; FCV 
does not have an annual increase restriction.  A property’s LPV cannot exceed its FCV.  
The District’s property tax levy is a secondary property tax, which is levied against the 
net assessed LPV of a property. 
 
Due to a voter-approved change in property tax methodology and in response to a 
request by DMB MPG, in FY 2015-16 the District increased the targeted maximum 
property tax rate from $3.00 to $3.85 per $100 of net assessed limited property 
valuation of taxable property for the debt service portion of the property tax rate to 
offset the change in property valuation and to generate the same levy.   
 
A combined tax rate of $1.89 ($1.73 for debt service and the $0.16 O&M tax) is targeted 
in FY 2026-27.   
 
Table 1.  Eastmark CFD No. 1 - FY 2026-27 Property Tax Rate and Levy  
 
Purpose 
Tax Rate 
Tax Levy 
(per $100 of NALPV) 
O&M 
$0.16 
$349,640  
Debt Service 
$1.73 
$3,780,483  
Total 
$1.89 
$4,130,123  
 
Impact to Property Owners 
 
The owner of the average (mean) value residential property in the District would pay 
$591 of District property taxes in FY 2026-27, in addition to $266 of City property taxes. 
 
Additional Information 
 
The property tax levy amount is included in the proposed FY 2026-27 District Budget 
to create budget capacity but does not obligate the District Board to any specific course 
of action with regards to the property tax rate and levy. 
 
Budget Adoption – Next Steps 
 
On May 21, 2026, the District Board is scheduled to (1) hold a public hearing on the 
proposed District Budget, (2) approve the final District Budget, and (3) approve the levy 
of the ad valorem tax on taxable property in the District, which would complete the FY 
2026-27 District Budget process.

4 
Alternatives 
 
The District Board may also choose to postpone approval of the proposed District 
Budget until as late as July 15, 2026, to make any desired adjustments.