SUBSTITUTE PROPOSITION NO. 106

The power of taxation shall never be surrendered, suspended, or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within the Territorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only.

There shall be exempted from taxation all federal, state, county and municipal property, and lots together with buildings thereon used exclusively for religious worship; and lots together with buildings thereon with contents therein used exclusively for parsonages, schools, academies, colleges, universities, libraries, hospitals or cemeteries, if not used or held for profit.

Public debts as evidenced by bonds of Arizona, its counties, municipalities or other subdivisions, shall also be exempt from taxation.

The legislature may exempt from taxation the property of widows not exceeding the amount of one thousand dollars where the total assessment of such widow does not exceed two thousand dollars. All property in the state not exempt under the laws of the United States or under this Constitution shall be subject to taxation to be ascertained as provided by law.

The legislature shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient with other sources of revenue, to defray the necessary ordinary expense of the state for each fiscal year. And for the purpose of paying the state debt, if there be any, the legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually sufficient to pay the annual interest, and principal of such debt within twenty-five years from the final passage of the law creating the debt.

No tax shall be levied except in pursuance of law; and every law imposing a tax shall state distinctly the object of the same to which it shall only be applied.

All taxes levied and collected for state purposes shall be paid into the state treasury in money only.

The fiscal year shall commence on the first day of July in each year. An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public money shall be published annually, in such manner as the legislature may provide. Whenever the expenses of any fiscal year shall exceed the income, the legislature may provide for levying a tax for the ensuing fiscal year sufficient, with other sources of income, to pay the deficiency as well as the estimated expenses of the ensuing fiscal year.

The state may contract debts to supply casual deficits or failures in revenues, or to meet expenses not otherwise provided for; but the aggregate amount of such debts, direct and contingent, whether contracted by virtue of one or more acts of the legislature, or at different periods of time, shall never exceed the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and the money arising from the creation of such debts, shall be applied to the purpose for which it was obtained or to repay the debts so contracted, and to no other purpose whatever.

The legislature may vest the corporate authorities of cities, towns and villages with a power to make local improvements by special assessments, or by special taxation of property benefited. For all corporate purposes, all municipal corporations may be vested with authority to assess and collect taxes, and such taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within the jurisdiction of the body levying the same.

The legislature may borrow money to repel invasion, suppress insurrection or defend the state in time of war; but the money thus raised shall be applied exclusively to the object for which the loan was authorized, or the repayment of the debt thereby created.

No money shall be paid out of the treasury except in the manner provided by law.

Neither the state, nor the county, city, town, municipality or other subdivision of the state shall ever give or loan its credit in the aid of, or make any donation or grant, by subsidy or otherwise to any individual, association or corporation, or become a subscriber to, or a shareholder in, any company or corporation, or a joint owner with any person, company or corporation, except as to such ownerships as may accrue to the state by operation of provision of law.

No county, city, town, school district or other municipal corporation shall for any purpose become indebted in any manner to an amount, including present indebtedness, exceeding four per centum of the taxable property in such county, city, town, school district, or other municipal corporation without the assent of two-thirds of the voters therein voting at an election to be held for that purpose provided by law, the value of the assessable property therein, to be ascertained by the last assessment, for state and county purposes previous to incurring such indebtedness; except, that in incorporated cities assessments shall be taken from the last assessment for city purposes; provided, that any incorporated city or town with such assent may be allowed to become indebted to a larger amount but not exceeding five per centum additional, for supplying such city or town with water, artificial light and sewers when the works for supplying such water, light and sewer shall be owned and controlled by the municipality.

Every law which imposes, continues or revives a tax shall distinctly state the tax and the objects for which it is to be applied; and it shall not be sufficient to refer to any other law to fix such tax or object.

No tax shall be laid or appropriation of public money made in aid of any church or private or sectarian school, or any railroad or other private corporations.

There shall be a state board of equalization, consisting of............................................................................................................................................... also, in each county of this state, a county Board of Equalization consisting of the Board of Supervisors of said county. The duty of the State Board of Equalization shall be to adjust and equalize the valuation of real and personal property among the several counties of the state. The duty of the county Board of Equalization shall be to adjust and equalize the valuation of real and personal property within their respective counties. Each Board shall also perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

• Substitute Proposition Number 106 (introduced on 1910-11-16 14:00:00 - CREATE - e938990) [This document] [view current proposal at this moment]
  • None (introduced on 1910-11-16 14:00:00 - REPORT_PROPOSAL - e939002) [view current proposal at this moment]