Committee adopts amendment to let counties recover blight-abatement costs through tax-lien proceeds

The House Ways and Means Committee adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 10 67 and returned the bill with a due-pass recommendation after testimony from county officials and association representatives.

Staff explained the underlying bill would have allowed county boards to require inclusion of an assessment on property tax bills for abatement of rubbish, filth, weeds or dilapidated buildings; Chairman Olsen's amendment (03/19/2026) removed the requirement to put the assessment directly on the tax bill and instead ensured the lien for abatement costs would survive a tax-lien sale so counties can recover costs.

Michael O'Driscoll, deputy county manager of Gila County, told the committee that Gila County has a substantial blight problem and that about 3–4 years ago the county spent roughly $80,000 cleaning up two properties and did not recover those costs. Caitlin King of the County Supervisors Association said the change would protect county taxpayers from bearing those costs.

The committee adopted the amendment and returned SB 10 67 as amended with an 8–0 roll-call vote.

Why it matters: Counties said they currently often absorb abatement costs when property owners fail to pay and tax-lien sales extinguish municipal assessment liens. The amendment narrows the bill to preserve county claims against property so proceeds from tax-lien sales can be used to reimburse abatement costs rather than shifting those costs to general county taxpayers.

Next steps: SB 10 67 as amended will move to the House floor with the committee's due-pass recommendation.