Photo: Rgper22008 · Public domainHow is South Tucson run?
South Tucson’s city government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $314 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: South Tucson didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how South Tucson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Tucson Unified District
South Tucson’s K–12 school district, shared with Tucson. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,666 per pupil, $6,686 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Arizona districts overall: 35% local, 47% state, 18% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $314 per resident a year, or $0.86 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
South Tucson didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for South Tucson yet
Every year of South Tucson’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $950 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.57% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at South Tucson’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to South Tucson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Tucson →
Who’s in charge in South Tucson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
South Tucson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on southtucson.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 42 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (5,742).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
South Tucson’s votes are counted by county
Arizona reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South Tucson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pima County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.8%292,450 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.7%214,669 votesOthers: 1.5% (7,908 votes).
Most votes in Pima County: Kamala D Harris
100% of South Tucson lies in Pima County. Every 2024 race in Pima County is on the county’s page.
Pima County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for South Tucson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: southtucson.org ↗
- 2Arizona HouseState representatives
- 3Arizona SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arizona
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach South Tucson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South Tucson’s government
How much does South Tucson spend per resident?
About $314 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (South Tucson didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $2 million.
What is the property tax rate in South Tucson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $950 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see southtucson.org.
Who runs South Tucson’s government?
See southtucson.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Tucson yet.
How did South Tucson vote in 2024?
Arizona counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South Tucson alone. Pima County, where 100% of South Tucson lies, voted Harris 56.8%, Trump 41.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Tucson?
136 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $752,164 (about $9.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents South Tucson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Sally Gonzales) and State House District 20 (Alma Hernández and Betty Villegas). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Tucson’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for South Tucson, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →