Bond Election 2025
The Superstition Fire & Medical District will hold a special bond election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The District seeks voter approval to issue bonds to provide funds for facility construction and improvements, acquisition of apparatus, vehicles, and equipment, and other costs.
Read the full press release here.
View the Prop 494 Information Flyer here.
Order of Election & Affidavit of Posting
Posted 08/19/2025
SFMD Bond Election Request for Arguments & Affidavit of Posting
Posted 07/02/2025
Calculate the Cost of the Bond for Your Household
Use the link below to access a calculator that will give you an accurate estimate of your annual bond cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the District considering a bond?
Over the past ten years, the annual call volume in the Superstition Fire & Medical District has increased by more than 60% from 8,000 calls in 2014 to nearly 13,000 calls in 2024. During the same period, legislative changes affecting fire districts have limited the ability to generate revenue in line with community growth and rising service demands. Increases in the costs of emergency equipment and emergency response vehicles, combined with many of our current resources reaching the end of their useful life, make it difficult to address these issues with current budget resources. The District has called for an election to seek additional funding to meet these needs.
How much will this proposal cost the taxpayers?
The estimated average tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $0.27 per $100 of your Assessed Limited Property Value found on your tax bill or the County Assessor’s website.
Please note: This is not the same as your home’s market value or what it might sell for. For example, a home with a $492,000 sales estimate on Zillow (with a Full Cash Value of $451,387) has a Limited Property Value (LPV) of $183,166 resulting in an Assessed Limited Property Value (ALPV) of $18,316.60 – the average tax for this home would be $49.45 annually or $4.12 per month.
Use the link below to access a calculator that will give you an accurate estimate of your annual bond cost.
Rather calculate for yourself?
- Find your Limited Property Value on your tax bill or on the County Assessor’s website, and multiply it by 10%. This gives your your Assessed Limited Property Value.
- Take your Assessed Limited Property Value and divide it by $100.
- Now multiply that amount by $0.27, which will give you your average annual estimated tax increase due to the bond.
For example, the average Limited Property Value for residential property in the Superstition Fire & Medical District is $180,291.
- $180,291 * 10% = $18,029.10
- $18,029.10 / $100 = $180.29
- $180.29 * $0.27 = $48.68 annually or $4.06 per month
How did the District develop the bond program?
The bond program was developed over several months through the work of a Citizens’ Advisory Committee, which conducted a public process to explore a potential General Obligation bond to address public safety needs, consider improvements, and weigh possible costs to the taxpayers. The committee focused on the history of the district, how fire districts are funded in Arizona, current and future service levels, budgeting and financial issues, capital needs, and toured current facilities. Following their deliberative process, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee recommended a special election in 2025 to provide revenue for modern public safety facilities, vehicles, and equipment.
What types of projects will be funded by the bond?
The bond proceeds would potentially provide funds to construct, renovate, improve, equip and furnish fire stations and other district facilities, acquire apparatus, vehicles and equipment, and other costs.
Funding priorities may include:
- Fire-fighting equipment
- Wildfire and water supply vehicles
- Pumpers and ladder trucks to replace vehicles beyond their useful life
- Fire Station 266 to serve the Superstition Vistas area, which was annexed into the Superstition Fire & Medical District in 2021
- Facility repairs to increase capacity and efficiency
- Improvements for cancer mitigation
- Training center improvements to address ongoing training needs
How could the bond impact response times?
Currently, the district has maintained response times with an average time of 4:33 on emergent calls. Additional public safety facilities and equipment could help reduce response times districtwide. Improved coverage keeping our first responders closer to their home stations and new vehicles providing the backup necessary while others are responding to an emergency are examples of how services could be impacted.
How could the bond impact employee recruitment and meeting industry standards?
Adequate facilities and improved training may allow the district to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining future public safety personnel, ensuring they have the facilities, equipment, and vehicles necessary to do their jobs effectively. The proposed projects are also intended to meet modern industry standards for improved methods of equipment storage, decontamination, and cancer mitigation.
How could the bond impact insurance ratings?
ISO (Insurance Services Office) evaluates fire protection capabilities for communities in the U.S., impacting insurance rates for homes and businesses by assessing a fire department’s ability to respond to and mitigate fire risks. The District maintains an ISO Class 2 rating which is among the top 3% of all organizations – the bond is intended to improve service and potentially avoid insurance cost increases.
How are fire districts funded?
Fire districts are funded primarily through property tax, unlike cities and towns, which can fund their budgets through a variety of sources, including state shared revenues, sales taxes, utility taxes, and other general fund revenue.
Ten years ago, property tax valuations were switched to be based on Limited Property Value (LPV), which was capped with an annual increase of no more than 5%. Further legislation capped the tax rate that fire districts can charge and reduced valuations on commercial property. The result is that districts recently recovered to 2009/2010 valuations after 15 years.
How has the District been fiscally responsible?
The District uses fiscally responsible measures, including pursuing grant opportunities, reducing pension liability, restructuring employee medical benefits, and partnering with municipalities for shared services and purchasing.
How do general obligation bonds work?
Bonds are used to finance large capital items like facility improvements and new equipment that are not typically covered by the regular maintenance and operations budget. The District sells bonds to investors to generate funding for the projects and then pays the investors back with interest over a period of 20 years. It is a way to plan for capital expenses that could help avoid costly repairs or emergency replacement.
When is the election?
This election will be mail-in ballot only.
Last Day to Register to Vote: October 6, 2025
Voting Begins: October 8, 2025
Last Day to Request a Ballot: October 24, 2025
Voting Deadline: November 4, 2025
We want to hear from you!
Public safety is key to our quality of life. Our community is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Ensuring that the Superstition Fire & Medical District remains a safe place to live is one of our core community values. Additionally, quality fire and emergency services protect your property values, keep insurance rates low, and play a key part in our community’s ability to attract residents and businesses.
This initiative is a community effort. We want our fellow citizens to understand and engage in the process by asking questions, submitting comments, and following along. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.