Queen Creek - A town in two counties! (Peoria, Apache Junction: schools, university)

[sh9730]

This is a new thread to specifically discuss some things that came up in a recent QC thread that were sort of off topic but I thought might be an interesting discussion.

The TOWN OF QUEEN CREEK (an incorporated entity) is mostly in Maricopa County - HOWEVER, there are pieces of both the actual town limits and areas within their planning sphere of influence in PINAL county. I noticed this in this past when looking at maps, but thought the maps must be in error. I had never personally heard of a city (or incorporated town) having boundaries in two counties. The closest thing I had ever personally experienced was the Stanford University campus which straddles over two counties.

Anyway, I can see many wierd things that this must cause:

1 - different tax rates for citizens in each county?
2 - different building codes? (although Im sure these days most are very similar)
3 - in the case of QC, they contract for law enforcement from MCSO - does that mean MCSO spends much of their time in PINAL county? (Legally this isnt an issue as peace officers have status in the entire state - but still its wierd)

And others.....

I have confirmed that the town limits are in fact in both counties, so Im curious to anyone that was around, how this happened? Was there a lot of discussion at the time?

Again, Im not talking about the large swath of what used to be UNINCORPORATED PINAL county that has now become the City of Santan Valley - Im talking about the boundaries of the mostly Maricopa Town of Queen Creek proper....

Thanks for any input...thoughts...

[observer53]

Apache Junction also has areas in the same two counties. I used to work for Pinal County decades ago, I don't recall any particular issues arising over that situation.

San Tan Valley is NOT an incorporated town or city.

I think a city can annex land without regard to what county it's in. A lot of annexation of outlying areas had to do with water rights. I suspect that's the case with Peoria, which apparently annexed land in Yavapai County.

[sh9730]

Observer,

You are correct about STV not being incorporated yet - my bad! I know they were trying but the other nearby cities wouldnt approve it at the time (another wierd thing about AZ vs other states).

Thanks for the other info....

[Pink Jazz]

In New Mexico, the village of Corrales outside Albuquerque was once split between Bernalillo and Sandoval County, however, in 2004, residents of the Bernalillo County section of the village voted in a referendum to annex that section to Sandoval County, and thus all of Corrales is now in Sandoval County.

As you can see, cities, towns, or villages being split between two counties isn't strictly an Arizona thing. Interestingly, there was a movement in 1993 to put most of the East Valley into Pinal County, which was supposedly to balance the populations of Maricopa and Pinal County. That never happened, and now with the rapid population growth in Pinal County that is unlikely to ever happen.

[CheyDee]

Just off the top of my head I can tell you that Rowlett, TX lies in both Dallas County and Rockwall County. There are some differences in the building codes between the two counties, as well as a moderate difference in property taxes. There is also a difference in schools, (as in which you can go to).

There is also a small area of the City of Dallas which lies in Collin County, while the rest of Dallas (city) lies in Dallas County. There is a difference in tax rates, police departments, etc.

In other words, a city or town in two counties isn't all that unusual.

[sh9730]

Guess just my "Californianess" is showing through. In CA population centers that cross county lines are incorporated as diffferent cities - i.e. all along the LA County/San Bernardino County lines, and then Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks on the LA/Ventura County line....the city limits never cross..

But I guess elsewhere as in AZ not that big a deal.....seems like it would be confusing to manage...but I guess not!