Maricopa County v. State

871 P.2d 261, 178 Ariz. 140, 162 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26, 1994 Ariz. Tax LEXIS 77
CourtArizona Tax Court
DecidedMarch 14, 1994
DocketNo. TX 93-00469
StatusPublished

This text of 871 P.2d 261 (Maricopa County v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maricopa County v. State, 871 P.2d 261, 178 Ariz. 140, 162 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26, 1994 Ariz. Tax LEXIS 77 (Ark. Super. Ct. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

SCHAFER, Judge.

The issue in this case is whether Section 2 of House Bill 2007 is an unconstitutional gift of public money for private use. The bill permits property owners to file retroactive certifications of agricultural use and grants refunds of taxes assessed under non-agricultural use classifications.

Maricopa County (the County) brought this Motion for Summary Judgment seeking a declaration that Section 2 of House Bill 2007 (enacted as A.R.S. § 42-168) is an unconstitutional gift of public funds.1

The Arizona Department of Revenue (the Department) and a group of interested property owners (Intervenors) argue that Section 2 of House Bill 2007 is not an unconstitutional gift of public monies. They take the position that the statute is merely a procedural enactment and is one done for the longstand[142]*142ing public purpose of supporting agricultural use of property in Arizona.2

On April 14, 1993, House Bill 2007 was signed by the Governor. Section 2 of the bill amends Title 42 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, specifically A.R.S. § 42-168, by granting certain property owners a retroactive avenue of relief for obtaining agricultural use classification of property which was originally denied such classification due to the owner’s failure to comply with the requirements of AR.S. § 42-167(D).3

Section 2 provides that taxpayers who own property used for agricultural purposes which meets the criteria prescribed under AR.S. § 42-167(A), but who failed to file the annual certification of eligibility for any year as required by A.R.S. § 42-167(D), may file the agricultural use certification form for that year with the county assessor on or before February 15, 1994. If the taxpayer submits the certification form, together with a sworn statement that the certification is true and correct, and the assessor is satisfied the property meets the requirements of A.R.S. § 42-167(A), then the property is to be reclassified, the value is to be redetermined, and a certificate of revaluation issued to the owner. The owner may then submit the certificate to the county treasurer for a refund.4

The Court agrees with the County that Section 2 of House Bill 2007 is an unconstitutional gift of public monies.

ANALYSIS

This Court knows that legislative enactments are entitled to a presumption of constitutionality; however, this Court is also aware of its duty to uphold the Arizona Constitution. When the Court is determining the constitutionality of a legislative enactment, the Court is not concerned with the wisdom, necessity, propriety or expediency of the legislation in question; those are matters exclusively within the province of the legislature. Industrial Development Authority of [143]*143the City of Pinal v. Nelson, 109 Ariz. 368, 371, 509 P.2d 705, 708 (1973).

The County argues that Section 2 of House Bill 2007 operates as a gift of public funds without a public purpose. Article 9, section 7, of the Arizona Constitution provides, in pertinent part:

Neither the State, nor any county ... 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____

This prohibition prevents governmental bodies from depleting the public treasury by giving advantages to special interests or by engaging in non-public enterprises. Wistuber v. Paradise Valley Unified School, 141 Ariz. 346, 349, 687 P.2d 354, 709 (1984); State v. Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, 86 Ariz. 50, 53, 340 P.2d 200, 201 (1959). Either objective may be violated by a transaction even though the transaction has surface indicia of a public purpose. Wistuber, 141 Ariz. at 349, 687 P.2d at 709.

“The reality of the transaction both in terms of purpose and consideration must be considered. A panoptic view of the facts of each transaction is required.” Wistuber, 141 Ariz. at 349, 687 P.2d at 709. The test to be applied in determining whether an expenditure violates Article 9, section 7, has been stated as follows:

[M]erely because the private entity ‘uses public funds or property for a ‘public purpose’ is not sufficient, in and of itself, to remove that use from the provisions’ of the Constitution. [City of Tempe v. Pilot Properties, Inc., 22 Ariz.App. 356, 362-63, 527 P.2d 515, 521-22 (1974).] There must also be ‘consideration’ which is not ‘so inequitable and unreasonable that it amounts to an abuse of discretion,’ thus providing a subsidy to the private entity.

Wistuber, 141 Ariz. at 349, 687 P.2d at 709. “Subsidy” has been defined as:

‘[A] grant of fund or property from a government, to a private person or company to assist in the establishment or support of an enterprise deemed advantageous to the public.’
‘Assist’ means ‘to give support or aid to, especially in some undertaking or effort,’ Webster’s 3rd New International Dictionary (1969).

City of Tempe v. Pilot Properties, Inc., 22 Ariz.App. 356, 362, 527 P.2d 515, 521 (App. 1974) (citation omitted). The concession given in exchange for public funds must be more than a mere gratuity with no possible value enuring to the state or its political subdivisions. Schrey v. Allison Steel Manufacturing, Inc., 75 Ariz. 282, 288, 255 P.2d 604, 608 (1953).

Here, Section 2 of House Bill 2007 allows a select group of property owners to obtain a refund or a cancellation of taxes which became due when they failed to comply with specific statutory mandates. The Department and the Intervenors vigorously argue that allowing the refund or cancellation will further the public purpose of supporting agricultural use of property in Arizona. However, to support agricultural use, the legislature may not make a gift or provide a subsidy of public funds to a select few. Only a small group of owners will receive the benefit of Section 2; only those owners who either ignored the explicit filing requirements of A.R.S. § 42-167(D) or those who have now repossessed their land after selling it to persons who ignored A.R.S. § 42-167(D).

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Related

Coleman v. Miller
307 U.S. 433 (Supreme Court, 1939)
City of Tempe v. Pilot Properties, Inc.
527 P.2d 515 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1974)
State v. Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company
340 P.2d 200 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1959)
Industrial Develop. Auth. of Cty. of Pinal v. Nelson
509 P.2d 705 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1973)
Devenir Associates v. City of Phoenix
821 P.2d 161 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1991)
Wistuber v. Paradise Valley Unified School District
687 P.2d 354 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1984)
Schrey v. Allison Steel Mfg. Co.
255 P.2d 604 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1953)
State Ex Rel. Romley v. Superior Court
836 P.2d 445 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
871 P.2d 261, 178 Ariz. 140, 162 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26, 1994 Ariz. Tax LEXIS 77, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maricopa-county-v-state-ariztaxct-1994.