Ballot Math / School districts / Wickenburg Unified
Ballot measure: Wickenburg Unified School District (board race cancelled)

Wickenburg Unified: a 10 percent override renewal at the county line

November 3, 2026 general election. Wickenburg Unified School District No. 9 spans Maricopa and Yavapai counties; this page covers the Maricopa County side. There is no Wickenburg board race on your ballot: the two open seats drew exactly two certified candidates, Stephen Doug Roberts and Martin North, so that election was cancelled and both are appointed as if elected. The override renewal below is the district's November question.
In one sentence: Wickenburg Unified may keep exceeding its state operating budget limit by 10 percent for seven more years, raising an estimated $904,730 in the first year (fiscal 2027/28) at an estimated tax rate of $0.22 per $100 of net assessed value.

The override funds operations, not buildings, and 10 percent is below the 15 percent ceiling most Arizona districts use. It is a renewal. If it is not renewed, the authority phases down over its final years and then ends, and the operating budget falls by roughly the override amount.

The math for your household

About $55 a year, on a home with $25,000 of net assessed value

The district's estimated rate, $0.22 per $100 of net assessed value, is about $55 a year on a home with $25,000 of net assessed value (roughly a $250,000 market value home at the 10 percent residential assessment ratio). As a renewal, a yes keeps that amount in your bill; a no removes it gradually as the override phases down.

A YES vote

The 10 percent override continues for seven years, funding operations in a small district.

A NO vote

The override phases down and expires, and the district cuts or absorbs about $900,000 a year.

The strongest case for YES

  • A modest ask. Supporters note the district uses 10 percent rather than the common 15, and the total, under $1 million, is proportionate to a small district's operating needs.

The strongest case for NO

  • Renewal fatigue. Opponents generally argue that seven year cycles make overrides effectively permanent, and the renewal vote is the one scheduled chance to ask what the last cycle bought.

Verification notes

  • No proposition number for the Wickenburg question was found in the sources we checked.
  • The county candidate list renders the appointee's name as "Roberts, Stephen Doug"; the pamphlet style "Stephen Doug Roberts" is used here.
  • Because the district spans two counties, Yavapai County voters see the same question on their ballots; this page's figures are the district's, from its official pamphlet.

How to vote without getting your ballot rejected

  • Mail it by Tuesday, October 27, 2026. After that day, do not mail it: use a drop box or a vote center instead.
  • It must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Postmarks do not count.
  • Sign and date the affidavit envelope, and write a current phone number on it.
  • Leaving any item blank is allowed. It does not affect the rest of your ballot.

Sources

Ballot Math: analysis only, no endorsements. Figures above are the district's projections, from its official pamphlet.